The Kuki CSO Working Committee accused the administration of failing to address restrictions affecting supplies, livelihoods and movement, while calling for dialogue and impartial action
BY PC Bureau
September 14, 2026: Kuki civil society organisations in Manipur’s Kamjong district have given the Deputy Commissioner 36 hours to intervene in what they describe as a more than six-month-old economic embargo and restrictions on movement, warning that they will otherwise impose an indefinite economic blockade at Chassad.
The ultimatum was issued on Monday by the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Kamjong District. The committee said prolonged restrictions had made it difficult for Kuki residents to obtain essential commodities, pursue livelihoods, meet household needs and travel freely.
It accused the district administration of failing to respond despite repeated appeals.
“Our patience has reached its limit. We can no longer bear the continued hardship and suffering faced by our people,” the committee said.
The Working Committee said its proposed blockade was aimed at forcing administrative intervention rather than provoking a wider confrontation. It also claimed that the Kuki community had so far refrained from restricting Tangkhul travellers on the Chassad route.
According to the statement, Tangkhul residents have continued to use the route and transport essential goods without obstruction from the Kuki side.
READ: Manipur Govt Promises NIA Probe Into Tollen Killing, Care of Orphaned Children
Five demands in 36 hours
The committee has asked the Deputy Commissioner and district administration to intervene immediately, address the grievances raised by Kuki organisations, initiate dialogue with all stakeholders, ensure impartial administration and take concrete measures to restore normal economic activity.
If it does not receive a “satisfactory response or meaningful intervention” within 36 hours, the committee said it would impose an indefinite economic blockade at Chassad.
The proposed action would exempt patients and ambulances, other medical emergencies, essential medical supplies, Army convoys, telecommunications services and the Electricity Department. The committee urged all concerned to respect these exemptions.
Copies of the statement were sent to the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Kamjong, the Commandant of 11 Assam Rifles at Chassad, the commander of the BSF unit deployed in the district and SB/SIB, Kamjong.
There was no immediate public response from the district administration.
Dispute dates back to March
The latest ultimatum follows months of competing claims over movement and supplies in Kamjong, a hill district carved out of Ukhrul in 2016.
Chassad, a major Kuki settlement in a predominantly Tangkhul Naga area, has become a focal point in the dispute.
According to earlier reports, the Zingsho Katamnao Long (ZKL), also described as the Eastern Students’ Union, announced an indefinite economic embargo on Kuki residents of Chassad from 5 pm on March 26.
ZKL said the move followed the alleged failure of the Chassad Youth Club to withdraw a March 24 statement and issue an unconditional apology.
Kuki groups rejected the embargo and described it as coercive. The Village Volunteers Eastern Zone (VVEZ) subsequently issued a 24-hour warning, threatening possible restrictions on Tangkhul movement on routes including the Yairipok-Ukhrul road via Sangshak if the embargo was not withdrawn.
In May, VVEZ issued another ultimatum, saying the restrictions had continued for around two months and had affected the movement of essential goods and access to medical facilities at Kamjong district headquarters.
Naga organisations have disputed the Kuki account. The Naga Village Guard Eastern Command (NVG-EC) described allegations of a Tangkhul civil society-imposed embargo as baseless and said Tangkhul organisations had no role in movement restrictions.
It also accused armed Kuki groups of attacks on Tangkhul villages and said NH-202, which connects several Tangkhul areas, had itself faced prolonged disruption.
Kuki student organisations in Kamjong have separately alleged that members of their community face difficulty accessing the district hospital at Kamjong headquarters. They have demanded equal access or a separate medical facility at Chassad.
Another flashpoint in hill districts
The Chassad dispute is part of a broader cycle of blockades, counter-blockades and movement restrictions that have increasingly affected Manipur’s hill districts.
Kuki organisations have accused rival groups of selectively restricting supplies and movement to Kuki-Zo areas in Ukhrul, Kamjong and Kangpokpi. Naga organisations have made similar allegations against Kuki armed groups, particularly over movement along NH-202.
In July, the Working Committee of Kuki CSOs, Ukhrul, announced a counter-blockade on NH-202, alleging that supplies had been obstructed for months. It allowed exemptions for medical emergencies, passenger vehicles, airport-bound travellers and security forces.
More recently, the Committee on Tribal Unity (Sadar Hills) accused factions from the Liangmai and Tangkhul communities of imposing what it called a “selective” economic blockade on Kuki-Zo residents. It warned of retaliatory restrictions if the administration failed to intervene.
The competing claims have produced repeated disruptions to civilian movement, with shortages and difficulties in accessing food, fuel and medical supplies reported from parts of the hill districts.
The Kamjong Working Committee said it had waited for months before issuing the latest ultimatum to avoid further tension.
Its statement called for “a peaceful, fair and lasting solution through effective administrative intervention and dialogue”.
The 36-hour deadline now puts the district administration under pressure to respond before the Chassad route becomes the site of another indefinite blockade.
