The indefinite bandh called by a Manipur-based Naga organisation on the movement of Kuki-Zo people through Naga-inhabited areas of the strife-hit state continued for the third straight day on Sunday, prompting the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) to appeal for its immediate lifting as it “further compounds the humanitarian crisis faced by the Kuki-Zo community” amid the ongoing conflict with the Meiteis.
The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) had on July 17 declared it would enforce an indefinite bandh on the movement of Kukis within foothill regions of Naga-inhabited areas with effect from July 18, citing “growing threats to our ancestral lands and identity”.
According to FNCC, the bandh is a peaceful but firm protest against the proposed construction of the German-Tiger Road through “our ancestral territories without the prior knowledge and consent of the Naga people, which is a blatant disregard for our traditional ownership and rights over our land”.
The organisation also objected to the continued presence of “illegal Suspension of Operation (SoO) camps of Kuki militant groups” in Naga areas and the “widespread and unchecked cultivation of poppy plantations”.
The SoO camps, FNCC stated, posed “serious threats to peace and security”, while poppy cultivation “not only degrades our environment but also endangers the social fabric of our society by fuelling drug addiction and criminal activity”.
“These encroachments and activities, if allowed to persist, will irreversibly harm the heritage, security, and future of the Naga people. The FNCC is committed to safeguarding our land, culture, and community from these existential threats,” the July 17 statement issued by B. Robin Kabui, the secretary of FNCC, said.
A Naga youth said movement of Kuki-Zo people through Naga-inhabited Makhan and Konsaram areas in Kangpokpi district has been severely affected. Manipur is currently under President’s rule.
KZC appeal
The Kuki-Zo Council on Saturday expressed “concern and disappointment” over the bandh and appealed to FNCC to lift it immediately to “allow safe passage” through Naga areas.
The KZC said that since ethnic clashes erupted between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023, “more than 150 Kuki-Zo individuals were mercilessly killed, over 7,000 homes were reduced to ashes,” and access through Meitei areas had become “unsafe and impossible.”
Calling the blockade “unconstitutional, inhumane, and unchristianly,” the KZC stressed that “any grievances should be addressed through peaceful dialogue and mutual respect.”
“In this challenging time, let us not allow division and suspicion to overshadow the bonds of shared faith and struggle,” a statement by KZC information secretary Ginza Vualzong said.
Other roads
On Sunday, the KZC issued another statement condemning what it called “baseless and malicious accusations” by certain Meitei groups branding the German-Tiger Road and Singheu Road as “drug routes” intended to malign the Kuki-Zo community.
The German-Tiger Road, named after individuals who initiated the project, is around 160km long. “It is a humanitarian lifeline, not a military or commercial route,” the KZC said, adding it was revived by civil society groups because Kuki-Zo people could no longer safely travel through Meitei areas.
Similarly, due to the loss of access to Sugnu, the Singheu route remains the only link to Churachandpur, Chandel, and Tengnoupal.
“These roads serve vital civilian needs—transporting essential goods, school children, patients, and ordinary travellers,” the KZC said. “We urge the central government to reject divisive narratives and improve these roads as critical inter-district lifelines.”
