New Delhi: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), an umbrella organisation of the tribal Kuki groups in Manipur’s Churachandpur, has announced the sealing of borders between hill and valley districts in Manipur between December 23, 2023, and January 5, 2024, to ward off alleged attempts by some miscreants to disrupt Christmas celebrations in the hill districts.
The Kuki-dominated hill districts have a Christian majority population, which is preparing for Christmas. “ITLF would like to inform the general public that all the borders within Churachandpur district and Bishnupur will be sealed for security reasons,” the ITLF said in a statement on Friday, December 22, according to NDTV.
The statement said ITLF has received “intelligence inputs about an imminent threat” to disrupt the Christmas season. “From December 23 till January 5, all non-tribals within the district are not allowed to move out of the district and those non-tribals from outside are not permitted to move inside the district,” the statement added.
The ITLF’s announcement comes a day after the Manipur government had issued a statement noting that two key highways from Imphal to Churachandpur and Mao, through Kangpokpi district, and the routes were now operational. “It is for the information of all, that the Imphal – Kangpokpi – Mao Highway and the Imphal Bishnupur -Churachandpur Highway are operational and open for use by all. For convenience and security of the people using the highways, additional security forces have been deployed,” a statement from the Manipur home department had said.
The ITLF’s decision would prevent the state government from posting more forces and opening the routes.
Even local Kuki groups in Kangpoki district, which is on the opposite side of Churachandpur with Imphal Valley in between, have also announced a lockdown of the district.
The ITLF statement came two days after the bodies of 87 Kuki-Zo victims of the ongoing ethnic clashes were buried at one location in Churachandpur district and following recent clashes that erupted earlier this week.