Imphal, Aug 19: The Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills (CoTU) on Saturday held a massive protest rally against the alleged prejudicial remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Thousands of Kuki-Zo tribals including men and women, young and old, across the Kangpokpi district participated in the rally which started from Brig. M. Thomas ground and concluded at DC Office Kangpokpi.

CoTU demanded the Union Home Minister to withdraw his statement in Parliament, saying that concealing the real cause of the violence for majoritarian appeasement will only bring continuous political instability.

In a public meeting at Brig. M. Thomas Ground before the rally, CoTU declared its decision to close back the National Highway-2, and National Highway-37 from midnight of August 20 following the expiry of its three days ultimatum to the Government to let essential commodities reach all Kuki-Zo dominated areas.

CoTU had alleged that the Meira Pabis and radical groups at Imphal have stopped the transportation of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo inhabited areas despite the lifting of the blockade along the Highways by the UPF and KNO.

FIRs have been lodged against a few Kuki-Zo academicians and intellectuals including an author, editors, a book publisher allegedly for distorting history and creating enmity among diverse communities by the Federation of Haomee and various individuals and groups from the Meitei Community.

The protest was also to show solidarity with the Kuki-Zo academicians and intellectuals against whom baseless allegations have been levelled and FIRs filed as well as the unabated attack by the Meitei militants.

CoTU demanded revocation of all the baseless FIRs filed against the academicians and intellectuals and declared these null and void as it is against individuals and organizations for exercising their fundamental rights of freedom of thought and expression. It remarked that this shows the moral bankruptcy of the dominant community who are hell-bent on suppressing the rights of the minorities.

“We demand for immediate re-imposition of AFSPA in the valley to curtail the sporadic violence and killing of the Kuki-Zo innocent people by the valley extremists,” said a leader of CoTU further said.

CoTU leaders also submitted a memorandum to the PM Narendra Modi through DC Kangpokpi.

Also read: Sikkim govt introduces Sabbatical leave scheme for govt employees

WATCH:

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/nemediahub