Kangpokpi: CoTU calls 48-hour shutdown as two youths go missing

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki-Zo civil society body in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, has called a 48-hour total shutdown in the district after two young men from the community went missing on Wednesday evening.

The shutdown runs from 5 pm on Thursday, October 29, to 5 pm on Saturday, October 31, according to reports.

What is known so far

The two men, both aged 20, were returning home from the Hengbung police outpost area when they were taken by "unknown miscreants" at about 5.30 pm on October 28 near the 9th MR/Maremei area, according to a statement from the Taphou Kuki Village Authority cited by The Times of India. Their whereabouts were not known at the time of writing.

NEInsider has not been able to independently confirm the circumstances in which the two went missing. There has been no public statement from Manipur Police on the case so far, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Demands from the village authority and CoTU

The village authority has asked police and the state government to act immediately to locate the two men and secure their safe and unconditional release. It has also called for a thorough and impartial investigation so that those responsible can be identified and prosecuted.

CoTU has criticised the security forces and the state government over the incident, calling it a security lapse and alleging that cases involving the Kuki-Zo community receive a slower response than others. The body said it would step up its agitation if the two are not returned safely.

Shutdown and wider tension

Shutdowns called by civil society groups in Manipur usually close markets and keep vehicles off the roads, and residents in Kangpokpi should expect disruption to transport and shops until Saturday evening. It was not immediately clear which services are exempt.

The call comes at a tense time in the state. Separately, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and some Naga bodies have announced a rally on October 31, and the Kuki-Zo Council has said it may ask MLAs from the community to withdraw from the government over its demand for a Union Territory.

Manipur has seen ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023, and past abductions have often led to protests and shutdowns.

NEInsider will update this story when police or the district administration share more information.