IMPHAL, July 4 NNN: The Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) has decided to resume and intensify its stir, with the committee announcing bandh and economic blockade along National Highways leading to Manipur from July 8 to 9, but the economic blockade is likely to extend till July 11.
Flaying the Government of India for not realizing its written assurances given to the Kuki people, KSDC spokesperson K Khongsai said, “We have decided to resume our earlier agitation by imposing general strike and economic blockade from 5 am of July 8 to 5 pm of July 9. We may extend the economic blockade stir till 5 pm of July 11.”
Flanked by TS Kuki, vice-chairman, KSDC and its general secretary K Gangte, Khongsai expressed unhappiness over repeated failure of the Government to meet its long-pending demands while talking to newsmen somewhere in Churachandpur district on Thursday.
He said KSDC has taken the decision as it intends to put more pressure on the Government for a peaceful solution for the Kuki community.
“Only the media and medical related activities will be exempted from the purview of the strike,” he said.
KSDC will enforce blockade on Imphal-Ukhrul road, Imphal-Tamenglong road, Imphal-Moreh road, Imphal-Chandel road, Imphal Senapati road, Imphal-Churachandpur road and Imphal-Jiribam road, he said.
Khongsai also said the committee appeals to all like-minded social organizations, sympathizers and supporters, and friends of the Kukis to support the movement for a ‘peaceful solution.’
KSDC had earlier imposed parallel bandh but suspended after the state Government gave it assurance to fulfill its demands by March 2013. The committee has been demanding both the state and Central Governments to start peace parleys with the Kuki armed groups—The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF)—which are signatories to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) involving both the Central and state Governments.
The KSDC spokesperson further said that the committee had on June 16 urged all concerned authorities to begin political dialogue with the KNO and UPF as assured by the Ministry of Home Affairs however it failed.
He said the committee will never negotiate with the Government unless the latter this time gives a fresh assurance on its demands with a fixed date to meet them.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ksdc-to-launch-economic-blockade/
