Kuki-Zo road project sparks bandh call in Manipur's Naga-majority areas
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The 'Tiger Road (also known as German Road)' is a voluntary road project initiated by Kuki-Zo organisations to connect Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has appealed to the Naga body to immediately lift the bandh and allow the safe passage of Kuki-Zo people through the Naga-inhabited areas of the state. It said in the aftermath of the outbreak of ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023, the Kuki-Zo people "have been left with no viable option but to seek alternate routes for movement, as transit through Meitei-dominated areas has become unsafe and impossible.
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"We firmly believe that any misunderstandings or grievances can and should be addressed through peaceful dialogue and mutual respect," the KZC stated.
The bandh supporters have imposed road blocks at several strategic points at Makhan in Kangpokpi district, Tongjei Maril (Old Cachar Road), Dolang Chiru, Tupul to Noney Road, Tupul-Noney Junction and Longsai-Khoupum Road in Noney district, disrupting the movement of people and vehicles.
The FNCC contends that the construction of the German and Tiger roads through Naga ancestral lands without their consent is a "blatant disregard of our traditional ownership and rights over our land".
The FNCC also insists on the dismantling of Suspension of Operations (SoO) camps of Kuki militant groups, asserting that their presence near Naga areas poses a security threat and constitutes an illegal settlement in Naga territory.
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The committee also condemned illegal poppy cultivation in the region, linking it to the ongoing demographic and territorial issues.
The bandh is backed by major Naga civil bodies such as the Eastern Liangmai Naga Chief Chairman Association and a coalition of Naga tribal bodies.
The FNCC has described the bandh as a "peaceful but firm protest" and called for Naga community unity. It warns that continued unauthorised activities by Kukis, including road renaming and expansion, will be regarded as acts of provocation and aggression in Naga territories.
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