Kangpokpi: The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) on Sunday strongly condemned what it described as a “stage-managed” attempt to malign its Medical Department after an unmarked vehicle carrying Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and allegedly displaying a “CoTU Medical Team” signage was intercepted at an unauthorised checkpoint at Namduilong-Kanglatongbi.
The committee termed the incident a “choreographed narrative” designed to tarnish the reputation of its medical volunteers, who it said have been providing uninterrupted healthcare services to the Kuki-Zo community since the outbreak of the ethnic conflict in May 2023.
The condemnation came a day after CoTU served a 48-hour ultimatum to the Manipur government and the Centre over the alleged continued blockade of essential food items and medical supplies along National Highway-2 by members of the Kacha Naga community.
Rejecting any alleged link with the intercepted vehicle, CoTU asserted that its Medical Team has never outsourced private vehicles for transporting essential medical supplies and has always relied on its own fleet of ambulances, pickup trucks and lorries for official operations, including the evacuation of critically ill patients to hospitals outside the state.
The organisation maintained that the vehicle in question was neither authorised nor associated with its Medical Department and alleged that the incident was orchestrated to discredit the humanitarian services rendered by its medical volunteers over the past three years.
Accusing those enforcing the highway blockade of pursuing a “communal approach” by allegedly obstructing the movement of essential commodities, CoTU demanded that those responsible for the checkpoint publicly explain within 24 hours the circumstances surrounding the interception of the unmarked vehicle and the alleged use of the “CoTU Medical Team” signage.
The committee further warned against what it called attempts to spread misinformation and damage the credibility of organisations engaged in humanitarian and medical relief activities, reiterating that such actions would not deter its efforts to provide healthcare support to the affected population.
