Protests erupted across Manipur’s Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts and in New Delhi by Kuki-Zo people after two “village volunteers” from the community were killed in firing near Kangpokpi district on Saturday. This comes even as a Kuki students’ body in Delhi NCR wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that the latter’s visit to Manipur was “a must” now and that Mr. Shah must promise the Kuki-Zo people in writing to settle the conflict once and for all.
The violence came after a lull of over a month and days ahead of polls in the State, jolting the Kuki-Zo community to take to the streets in both Kangpokpi and Churachandpur. Throughout the last week, as political parties in the State found covert ways to campaign in light of the conflict, voters in both constituencies expressed no enthusiasm towards the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on April 19 and 26.
The violence and the protests come amid reports that Home Minister Amit Shah was to visit Imphal for campaigning.
