Amid brutal killing Kuki-Zo volunteers, CoTU shutdown govt. offices
Amid brutal killing Kuki-Zo volunteers, CoTU shutdown govt. offices
Imphal: With only three days left for the first phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, Kangpokpi district, to vote in this phase, observed an indefinite closure of government offices at the district headquarters today.
Adding to the resounding outcry of the Kuki-Zo community after the Phailengmol incident that claimed two lives.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in the heart of Manipur’s capital Imphal, preparing for the Lok Sabha polls in earnest, as the indefinite closure of government offices was revealed at Kangpokpi district headquarters.
Under the leadership of the Committee of Tribal Unity, or CoTU, Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District, various government offices including the Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council, Zonal Education Office (ZEO), Town Employment Exchange, etc. were closed indefinitely.
The COTU leaders also met the District Election Officer, Mahesh Choudhary, who is also the Deputy Commissioner of the district and apprised him of the gruesome killing of Phailengmol and some of the demands should be taken seriously.
Additionally, the CoTU leaders held important discussions with Mahesh Chaudhary, District Election Officer and District Deputy Commissioner, to present a strong list of demands requiring immediate attention, to deal with the tragic incident in Phailengmol.
The demands include a judicial inquiry into Phailengmol’s brutal murder, as well as the release of the bodies of the two volunteers by tonight.
According to the committee, DC/DEO Kangpokpi will be forced to close tomorrow 16 April 2024 due to failure to deliver the corpses of volunteers from Kuki-Zo village by tonight.
Speaking to the media on the sideline of the closure of Government offices, CoTU’s Media Cell Coordinator, Ng. Lun Kipgen said that in continuation of the public protest, we are compelled to close all Government offices in the district headquarters today, and we will be liable to close even the DC/DEO office tomorrow if our two Kuki-Zo volunteers’ dead bodies are not delivered tonight.
He also fervently appealed to the Chief Election Commissioner of India to take cognisance of the plights of the Kuki-Zo people for the past eleven months.
According to the committee, it will maintain the closure of government offices in every Subdivision of the district until their demands are met without compromise.
