Two Kuki-Zo Youths Missing in Manipur’s Kangpokpi; CoTU Calls 48-Hour Shutdown
The Committee on Tribal Unity has called a shutdown from 5 pm on October 29 to 5 pm on October 31, demanding the safe and unconditional release of two young men last seen on Wednesday evening.
KANGPOKPI/IMPHAL- Two young men from Manipur’s Kuki-Zo community have been reported missing in Kangpokpi district since Wednesday evening, prompting the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) to call a 48-hour shutdown demanding their immediate and safe return.
The missing youths have been identified as Thangginlun Chongloi, 21, and Paoginlal Hangsing, 20, both residents of Taphou Kuki village.
According to the Taphou Kuki Village Authority, the two were returning home from the Hengbung police outpost when they allegedly went missing around 5:30 pm on October 28 near the 9th MR/Maremei area. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain unclear.
CoTU, a Kuki-Zo civil society organisation based in Kangpokpi, has alleged that Naga militants abducted the two youths between Hengbung and Taphou Kuki village. The allegation has not been independently established.
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CoTU announces 48-hour shutdown
In response to the incident, CoTU announced a total shutdown across Kangpokpi district from 5 pm on Thursday, October 29, until 5 pm on Saturday, October 31.
According to the organisation’s announcement, shops, markets, vehicles, educational institutions and government and private offices are expected to remain closed during the shutdown. Medical services, media personnel and security forces have been exempted.
CoTU has demanded the immediate, safe and unconditional release of the two youths and urged the state government and security agencies to take urgent steps to trace them.
The organisation has criticised what it describes as a security failure and alleged unequal treatment in the authorities’ response to incidents involving different communities.
In its statement, CoTU claimed that security incidents affecting non-Kuki-Zo groups often receive prompt search operations and administrative attention, while cases involving Kuki-Zo people face delays or inadequate responses. These assertions represent the organisation’s position and have not been independently verified.
The group has warned that it may intensify its agitation if the two youths are not returned safely and unharmed.
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Village authority seeks urgent intervention
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority has also called on law enforcement agencies and the government to take immediate steps to establish the whereabouts of the missing youths.
It has sought their safe return and a thorough, impartial investigation to identify those responsible if an abduction is established.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over civilian security in Kangpokpi district, where tensions between communities and disputes over the response to security incidents have contributed to an unsettled situation.
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Authorities’ response awaited
As of October 29, reports cited by local media had not established the circumstances of the youths’ disappearance or confirmed the identities of those allegedly responsible. A detailed official account of the incident and the status of any rescue operation was not available in the reports reviewed for this story.
The immediate priority remains locating the two young men and establishing the facts surrounding their disappearance.
The situation also places pressure on the authorities to communicate verified developments and address public concerns while ensuring that essential services remain accessible during the shutdown.
Further developments are awaited as efforts to trace the missing youths continue.
