Kukis begin 2-day shutdown in Manipur, press for their demand of Union Territory

The Kuki-Zo community in Manipur on Friday began a two-day total shutdown, demanding a separate Union Territory amid the ethnic violence that has gripped the state for more than a year.
The shutdown, called by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), started at 6.00 am on Friday, bringing all businesses and private institutions, including schools, to a standstill.
Vehicular movement, except for exempted services, was completely restricted, with volunteers, predominantly Kuki-Zo women, monitoring key areas, including National Highway-2 at Kangpokpi District headquarters and Gamgiphai.
Exemptions were granted for medical services, airport operations, religious activities, and the media, with valid documentation required for passage.
One protest leader emphasised, “The persistent falsehoods labelling the Kuki-Zo community as outsiders have reached an intolerable point. We are not immigrants, we are indigenous to this land”.
The uproar was further fuelled by recent claims from the state government that 900 Kuki militants had infiltrated Manipur from Myanmar.
The Kuki-Zo women leader stated that both the Director General of Police (DGP) and the state’s Security Advisor have publicly refuted and clarified the false propaganda regarding the alleged influx of 900 Kuki militants into Manipur–a claim that the Security Advisor had earlier insisted was 100 per cent accurate.
“This isn’t just about politics, it’s about survival,” the protest leader declared, asking, “How much longer are we to endure these fabrications that only bolster majoritarian rule and vilify our community?”
The shutdown underscores the Kuki-Zo women’s demand for complete separation from Manipur’s current governance structure.
Advocating for a Union Territory with a legislature, they argue that the rule of law has collapsed under a system dominated by armed militias and biassed governance.
“Without a separate administration, the Kuki-Zo people have no guarantee of safety, security, or justice. We are denied our rightful place in a land where we have lived for generations,” she lamented, capturing the sentiment of the gathered crowd.
This protest marks the beginning of a series of demonstrations aimed at peaceful yet determined self-determination, a protester noted, with organisers emphasising that the leadership of Kuki-Zo women highlights the community’s strength and resilience in the face of adversity.