Thousands rally to protest against participation of Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs in Manipur govt formation

Guwahati: BJP's Kuki MLAs who chose to join the government in Manipur continues to draw fire from Kuki organisations, who staged a massive rally in Churachandpur on Friday, demanding them to step back.

Hundreds belonging to Kuki-Zo communities took to the streets, shouted slogans and some even burnt effigies of three MLAs during the rally organised by two prominent women organisations, Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights and the women wing of Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum.

Effigies of Nemcha Kipgen, a woman Kuki MLA, who virtually took oath as deputy CM from New Delhi on Wednesday, and two other MLAs were bunt by protesters. Two other MLAs, LM Khaute and Ngursanglur, attended the swearing-in event at Imphal.

Kuki organisations roared in anger as Kipgen took oath, ignoring the appeal by the organisations against it without a "written commitment" regarding fulfilment of their demand for a Union Territory comprising Kuki-dominated areas, for ending the Meitei-Kuki conflict.

Kuki Zo Council (KZC), the apex body of Kuki groups engaged in talks with the government, said on Friday, "Overwhelming participation in today's rally reflects the deep anguish, anger and collective rejection to the decision taken by the Kuki MLAs to join the government in Manipur. The decision was in complete disregard to the public sentiment, collective resolutions and the immense suffering endured by our community."

Many Kukis pelted stones at the security forces on Thursday evening at Churachandpur when they were allegedly stopped from enforcing a shutdown. Tyres were burnt to block a road forcing deployment of additional forces.

The KZC on Thursday announced "social boycott" against the five (out of seven) Kuki BJP MLAs who took part in a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, in which Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei MLA, was chosen as the legislature party leader. Singh took oath as the new CM on Wednesday.