Tribal student bodies hold rallies in Manipur, Delhi pressing for UT demand

New Delhi/Imphal, Aug 31 (IANS) Thousands of tribal men and women belonging to the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday took out rallies in three tribal-dominated Manipur districts and at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi in support of their demand for a separate Union Territory.

The participants in the rallies raised slogans against Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s alleged objectionable remarks against people belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.

The rallies, organised by the Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF) and the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), were held in Manipur's Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts, and at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

Responding to the call given by the ZSF and KSO, all markets, business establishments, schools and other institutions in the three Manipur districts remained closed on Saturday.

The KSO, ZSF and their associate organisations have also submitted a memorandum to the respective Deputy Commissioners of the three districts highlighting their demands.

A KSO statement said: “For a permanent solution to the Manipur ethnic crisis, the Kuki-Zo people urges the Central government to create a Union Territory with a legislative Assembly as it is critical for our survival. The Kuki-Zo people have the constitutional right to self-governance and to advance their community without any fear of repression or violence.”

Ten Kuki-Zo tribal MLAs, including seven from the BJP, along with the leading organisations of the community have been demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur.

The Manipur government on Friday urged the people not to respond to the tribal student bodies' call for shutting down all business establishments, government offices, and private institutions and join their rallies on Saturday.

The government also warned the tribal student bodies that if anybody creates any law and order problem, appropriate action will be taken against them.

Manipur government’s Home Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar had said that the state government has issued necessary instructions to take up appropriate preventive and precautionary measures, along with a robust response mechanism, to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in the state.

“Any act of issuing public notice for organising a mass rally and urging to shut down institutions, which can pose a grave impact on the prevailing law and order situation and which is likely to pose serious repercussions in the context of the ongoing law and order crisis in the state, is viewed very seriously by the state government with the utmost sensitivity,” the Home Commissioner had said.

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