Kuki women leaders called Thursday’s brief stop of a CRPF convoy at Saparmeina an emotional appeal over missing community members, rejecting claims of deliberate obstruction.
Edited by: Kimbawinu Vaiphei, Kukiland Express Desk
Kanggui: May 22, 2026
What unfolded at Saparmeina on Thursday was a “misunderstanding” driven by grief, not a planned blockade, Kuki women leaders said. According to their account, a group of mothers stopped a CRPF convoy in Kangpokpi district while seeking help for Kuki hostages they say are being held in Senapati.
The women leaders said the mothers had no intent to disrupt security movement. They characterized the incident as a spontaneous plea from families under emotional strain, aimed at urging personnel to intervene for their relatives. The leaders stated the women moved toward the vehicles believing security forces in the area could assist in rescue efforts.
Kuki women leader Margaret said the action came from “pain, helplessness and hope,” not hostility. She said the women did not initially realize the vehicles were part of an official CRPF convoy and thought personnel were deployed locally due to ongoing tensions. Margaret added that obstructing convoys has not been a tactic used by Kuki women during previous shutdowns or protests.
According to local reports, CRPF personnel viewed the gathering as an obstruction amid an ongoing total shutdown called by the Kuki Inpi Manipur, which led to a brief confrontation. The reports said Kuki community leaders stepped in to explain the situation to the women, after which the convoy continued without further incident.
Margaret criticized what she described as hasty portrayals of the event on social media and in some mainstream outlets, saying that framing the mothers’ actions as deliberate obstruction misrepresented their intent. “Their desperation should not be twisted into hostility,” she said, according to the reports. The women were emotionally distraught and seeking help for captive family members.
The women leaders urged security agencies and the public not to misconstrue the incident and asked for recognition of the trauma facing families of missing persons. They also appealed to the media to report sensitive incidents with restraint and called on security forces to monitor all vulnerable areas, not just select locations. The leaders urged communities to maintain restraint and mutual understanding as the crisis continues.
