Kangpokpi: Even as the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) served a 48-hour ultimatum to the Centre and the Manipur administration demanding the immediate reopening of highways and inter-district roads connecting Kangpokpi for the unhindered movement of essential commodities, villagers at multiple locations allegedly continued to obstruct food supplies and civilian movement to Kuki settlements, triggering what the Kuki-Zo community described as a serious humanitarian crisis and raising concerns over the denial of basic necessities to an entire community.
According to local sources, around 28 vehicles carrying food supplies, medicines, other essential commodities and private passengers, including women and children, under the escort of central security forces, along the state’s oldest highway, Imphal-Tamenglong Road or the IT Road, from Kangpokpi Town were stopped at Chawangkining village, a Liangmai Naga village located about 14 km from Kangpokpi district headquarters, at around noon on Sunday.
After prolonged negotiations and a tense standoff, security personnel succeeded in moving the convoy forward. However, the vehicles were again intercepted at Thonglang Atongba, another Liangmai Naga village situated about 5-6 km away, where blockade enforcers allegedly placed nail traps at multiple points along the road, puncturing the tyres of at least five escorted vehicles and bringing the convoy to another halt.
The situation deteriorated further as a large crowd, comprising mostly women from Thonglang Atongba and Thonglang Akutpa, gathered at the site, leading to a prolonged face-off between the security forces and blockade supporters that lasted until late evening.
Despite exercising restraint and making repeated attempts to peacefully clear the route, security personnel eventually resorted to crowd-control measures, including the use of smoke shells and tear gas, at around 10.30 pm to disperse the gathering and ensure the safe passage of the convoy.
According to a woman, who was among the escorted passengers, protesters resorted to stone pelting and used slingshots against the escorted vehicles as the convoy resumed its journey from Thonglang Atongba, damaging several civilian vehicles and reportedly endangering the lives of passengers, including women and children.
Kangpokpi Police, CRPF and additional contingents of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed to restore order and facilitate the movement of the stranded convoy.
What would ordinarily have been a five-to-six-hour journey reportedly took nearly 24 hours, underscoring the enormous challenges faced by security agencies in ensuring the delivery of food supplies and other essential commodities to remote Kuki habitations in the Twilang region of Kangpokpi district.
The continued obstruction of food supplies has drawn sharp criticism, with many describing the blockade as more than a law-and-order issue.
Preventing the movement of food, medicines and other essential commodities to a civilian population raises grave humanitarian concerns, particularly when women, children, the elderly and patients are among those directly affected, CoTU leader said.
He asserted that access to food, healthcare and essential supplies constitutes a fundamental humanitarian necessity, and any prolonged disruption threatens the dignity, health and well-being of vulnerable civilians irrespective of ethnicity or political differences.
The developments come amid mounting pressure on the state government and the Centre to ensure the uninterrupted movement of essential commodities along national and inter-district routes. The Committee on Tribal Unity has maintained that the continued blockade of supply lines amounts to the denial of basic humanitarian needs to Kuki civilians and has warned of pre-emptive measures if authorities fail to restore free and secure movement within the stipulated deadline, which is due to expire on Monday, June 29 midnight.
