Manipur: Kangpokpi shutdown extended by 48 hours after two youths found dead in Senapati

Tension remained high in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Monday after the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki-Zo body, extended its total shutdown by another 48 hours over the killing of two young men from Taphou Kuki village.

The two, both aged around 20, went missing in late October. Joint teams of Manipur Police, the CRPF, Assam Rifles and other forces found their bodies on Sunday on a banana farm in neighbouring Senapati district, near the boundary with Kangpokpi, according to reports. Police have not stated the cause of death and say they are working to identify those responsible.

Protests and clashes

Protests broke out in several parts of Kangpokpi on Sunday night. Demonstrators blocked roads, including National Highway 2, and security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds near the district hospital and the Superintendent of Police's office. One protester suffered a head injury, allegedly from a tear gas shell, and was reported stable. Additional forces were deployed on Monday morning.

In its notice on Monday, CoTU exempted schools, medical services, the media and airport travel from the shutdown. It said the Kuki-Zo community would hold a mass public meeting to decide its next steps if action was not taken within the extended period.

Demands and responses

CoTU has said it will not claim the bodies until its demands are met. These include the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, who it holds responsible as the area's representative, an NIA probe, the arrest of all those involved, and moving Taphou Kuki village from Senapati to Kangpokpi police jurisdiction.

Dikho condemned the killings as senseless violence that no grievance could justify. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen also condemned them and called for a thorough investigation. The Naga Peoples' Organisation questioned the circumstances in which the bodies were found and sought an impartial, independent inquiry.

The deaths came a day after three men were killed on Saturday in an exchange of fire at a village in Noney district, police said. Police have not named anyone and say searches are continuing.

Why it matters

The killings add to a run of violence in Manipur's hill districts this year, at a time when large rallies in Imphal are already demanding changes to the Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki armed groups. A prolonged shutdown on NH-2, a key supply route into the Imphal valley, could also affect the movement of goods ahead of Assembly elections expected early next year.