Litan: Hundreds of demonstrators under the banner of the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Ukhrul District, on Wednesday organised a large sit-in protest at Shangkai Village, intensifying pressure on the authorities over the alleged abduction of Kuki-Zo civilians, continued non-implementation of the March 19 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and what the organisation termed “systematic atrocities” against Kuki-Zo communities in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts of Manipur.
The protest programme, organised jointly with the Kuki Women Union (KWU) under the aegis of WCKCSOs-Ukhrul, witnessed participation from students, teachers, village leaders, civil society organisations, and members of the public. Organisers described the mobilisation as a united call for justice, peace, security, and protection of the rights of Kuki-Zo civilians.
During the demonstration, the KSO accused the administration of failing to honour and implement the March 19 MoU, alleging that the prolonged delay had pushed the Kuki student community into an increasingly grave humanitarian and security crisis.
The organisation further alleged that three Kuki-Zo students and eleven other Kuki-Zo men had been abducted by SDSA and NSCN (IM), while accusing the authorities of failing to safeguard the constitutional rights and security of Kuki-Zo civilians residing in the affected hill districts.
Addressing the gathering, KSO Ukhrul Vice-President Mercy delivered a strongly worded speech, stating that the agitation stemmed not from weakness but from accumulated pain arising from “injustice, silence, and suffering.”
“The failure to implement the 19 March MoU is not merely a political delay — it is a betrayal of trust, a betrayal of peace, and a betrayal of the Kuki-Zo people,” she said.
Referring to the alleged abducted individuals, Mercy stated that the missing persons were not mere statistics but members of their own community enduring fear and uncertainty.
“They are not just names on a list. They are our children, our brothers, our people. Their suffering is our suffering. Their fear is our fear,” she told the crowd.
She also questioned what she described as continued silence over the alleged targeting of Kuki-Zo civilians in the region.
“How long must the Kuki-Zo people bleed before justice speaks? How long must we continue to live under threats, intimidation, and violence simply because of our identity?” she asked.
Throughout the protest, demonstrators raised slogans demanding the immediate release of the allegedly abducted civilians, implementation of the March 19 MoU, and an end to alleged atrocities against Kuki-Zo communities in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts.
Mercy asserted that the Kuki-Zo people were not seeking sympathy but demanding justice, dignity, security, and recognition of their rights and existence.
“Our movement is peaceful, but our determination is unbreakable. We refuse to be silenced. We refuse to live in fear. We refuse to let injustice become normal,” she declared.
The demonstration comes amid mounting unrest in Kuki-dominated areas of Manipur, where several civil society organisations have intensified protests and public agitation over alleged insecurity, administrative inaction, and the continued disappearance of Kuki-Zo civilians.
Student protesters warned that continued governmental silence and failure to address their concerns could further deepen mistrust and instability in the already tense hill districts.
