Kangpokpi: CoTU extends shutdown by 24 hours as two youths still missing

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has extended its shutdown in Manipur's Kangpokpi district by another 24 hours after thousands of people rallied on Saturday to demand the safe return of two Kuki-Zo youths who have been missing since 28 October.

The shutdown was due to end at 5 pm on 31 October. CoTU said it was extended because the two young men had still not been traced, India Today NE reported.

The rally

The rally began at Brigadier M Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi town. Participants carried placards and shouted slogans as they marched along National Highway-2 to the Deputy Commissioner's office, where they handed over a memorandum addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The missing youths are Paoginlal Hangshing, 20, and Tinginlun Chongloi, 21. CoTU says they were abducted from Taphou Kuki village by cadres of the NSCN-IM and the Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson). Neither group has publicly responded to the allegation, and police have not said who is holding them. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

Relatives of the two spoke at the gathering and appealed to the authorities to find them and secure their unconditional release. Haokholet Hangshing, the father of one of the youths, questioned how safe it was to travel on NH-2 and asked for urgent government action.

What the memorandum asks

The memorandum, submitted on behalf of 21 civil society organisations, seeks the immediate release of the two youths, legal action against those responsible and what it called equal constitutional protection for the Kuki-Zo community. It also raises complaints about unequal law enforcement and lists the toll of the conflict, including civilian deaths, attacks on villages, destroyed homes and displacement.

CoTU spokesperson Ng Lun Kipgen said the Centre must address the community's security concerns and that any lasting settlement in Manipur should involve dialogue among all stakeholders. He also asked Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho to help secure the youths' release.

Warning of tougher protests

CoTU warned that it could step up its agitation if the two are not returned safely within the extended period, while asking the public to stay peaceful and disciplined.

The shutdown began after CoTU called a 48-hour bandh on 29 October, which NEInsider reported at the time. The extension comes on a day of large rallies across Manipur, including a COCOMI-led march in Imphal and Naga rallies in the hill districts demanding that the Suspension of Operations pact be scrapped.

NEInsider will update this story when police or the state government comment on the search.