Mob takes stand against Govt formation to the streets with violence Rampage at CCpur, 12 hour bandh called

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 5 : A confrontation broke out today between an unruly Kuki mob and security forces at Tuibong, under Chura-chandpur police station, following a protest against the formation of the new State Government.
The protest began earlier in the morning when a group of women staged a demonstration on the road.
Later in the evening, a larger mob took to the streets, burning tyres and other objects on the main road of Churachandpur district headquarters, intensi- fying the situation.
Tensions escalated when security personnel attempted to disperse the unruly mob.
In response, the protesters began pelting stones and other hard objects, and even used slingshots at the security forces.
The mob also reportedly tried to storm the residence of the Churachandpur Assembly Constituency MLA LM Khaute.
To control the mob, security forces fired tear gas shells and mock bombs.
A well placed source indicated that the situation remains tense, with the security forces working to maintain order.
The unrest stems from strong opposition within the Kuki community to the newly formed State Government.
In response to the developments, the Joint Forum of Seven (JF7), an umbrella organisation representing seven Kuki groups, has called for a 12-hour total shutdown across all Kuki-Zo inhabited areas of Outer Manipur, including the Kuki Hills, on February 6 , from 6 am to 6 pm, reports   North East Live.
A press release issued by the JF7 stated that the shutdown is a protest against both the participation of certain Kuki-Zo MLAs in the new Government and the Central Government’s prioritisation of State Government formation over the community’s long-standing demands, including a Separate Administration or Union Territory with legislature.
The forum emphasized that the protest is peaceful and democratic, asserting the community’s Constitutional rights to expression, assembly, and association.
On Wednesday, protests erupted in the National Capital as members of the Kuki-Zo community voiced their opposition to the participation of certain Kuki-Zo MLAs in the formation of the new Manipur Government, which ended nearly a year of President’s Rule in the State.
Demonstrators gathered near Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of MLA Nemcha Kipgen and urging Kuki-Zo representatives to refrain from participating in the Government formation.
The protesters accused the three Kuki-Zo MLAs involved of betraying the community’s collective interests.
Significantly, Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki-Zo BJP MLA from Kangpokpi, took oath as Deputy Chief Minister virtually from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday, becoming the first woman and first Kuki-Zo leader to hold the post.
Other Kuki-Zo BJP MLAs, including LM Khaute (Churachandpur) and Ngursanglur Sanate (Tipaimukh), attended the oath-taking ceremony in Imphal despite opposition from Kuki organizations.