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Hundreds of youth and women took to the streets on Sunday, participating in a mega bike rally launched from the Koujeng Leima temple campus in Sekmai.
Organised by the Indigenous People's Front under the banner theme 'Save Manipur from Narco Terrorism', the rally aims to safeguard the state's indigenous populations against growing threats from narco-terrorist groups. The rally was officially flagged off by Yengkokpam Dhiren, the Convenor of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), alongside senior organisation officials. Speaking to ANI, Dhiren outlined the route and purpose of the demonstration. "We organised this rally to save indigenous people from narco-terrorism. The rally started from Sekmai and will culminate at Khuman Lampak, Imphal." Demonstrating widespread solidarity, the rally traversed multiple critical towns and regions across Manipur, including: Luwangsangbam, Chingmeirong, and North AOC, Thangmeiband, Khoyathong, Nagamapal, and Wahengbam Leikai, Keishampat, Nambol, Bishnupur, Moirang, and Kumbi, Kakching, Thoubal, Kakwa, Singjamei, Kongba Road, and Wangkhei. The bike rally follows a tense solidarity public gathering held near the Makhan Naga Village Gate at Kanglatombi in the Imphal West District. Organised jointly by several civil society groups, including ELNCCA, LNC-EZ, the Koubru Range Liangmai Women's Union (KRLWU), LNKR-EZ, and Kanglatongbi CSOs, the gathering protested alleged Kuki aggression and addressed a critical ongoing hostage crisis. According to community speakers, terrorists ambushed and forcefully kidnapped 18 innocent civilians from the Kuki village of Leilon Veiphei on May 13, followed by 2 more individuals from Sapormeina on May 15, 2026. While 14 of the 20 hostages have since been released, 6 civilians remain in captivity. Condemning the ambush as a "cowardly act of aggression," demonstrators issued a joint memorandum holding the government accountable for failing to prevent these crimes. The joint civil society organisations have put forth a strict ultimatum and a list of urgent demands for immediate release and legal accountability. The government must safely rescue the remaining six hostages within three days. The memorandum warned that the government will bear full responsibility for any untoward state-wide escalations if the hostages are harmed and the Village Chief of Leilon Veiphei, along with all perpetrators involved in the May 13 ambush, must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They also urged the central government to immediately abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Kuki National Front (Presidential) [KNF-P] and launch intensive combing operations in Leilon Veiphei, Kharam Veiphei, and the surrounding areas. They also called for the immediate removal of Nemcha Kipgen from her government position on moral grounds, citing her alleged ties as a militant's wife. The joint statement asserted that the indigenous communities of Manipur will stand entirely united to fight back against repeated atrocities and territorial aggression. (ANI)
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