Songpi: The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi District, has announced a 24-Hours Total Shutdown across Kangpokpi District to be effective from 6:00 PM on 10th October, 2026, in view of the grave and escalating security situation arising from reported coordinated attacks in Chassad, Kamjong District, Yaolen, Ukhrul District and along the IT Road in Kangpokpi District, involving Tangkhul and Liangmei elements associated with NSCN-IM. CoTU said these attacks pose a serious threat to lives, safety and security of civilians and given the possibility of further attacks in other vulnerable areas, the prevailing situation demands urgent precautionary measures to safeguard innocent lives and prevent further escalation of violence.
According to CoTU, all residents, business establishments, transport operators and other concerned parties are requested to strictly observe the shutdown and extend full cooperation. Emergency medical services and other essential life-saving services shall be exempted. CoTU stated the shutdown is a precautionary measure in response to the serious security threat facing civilians and appealed to all concerned to remain vigilant, maintain peace and refrain from actions that could further aggravate the situation, while strongly condemning all acts of violence and intimidation directed against civilians.
The shutdown call comes after two killings in Chassad village within 24 hours. The Kuki Women Union (KWU), General Headquarters, in its Ref. No. KWU/23/PR/09 dated 10th October 2026, in a statement of condemnation and demand for justice, stated that on the evening of 9 October 2026 at about 9:00 PM, Pi Domkhonei Touthang (42), wife of Pu Lallenmang Touthang, was shot dead when personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) stationed in the village reportedly opened fire on a gathering of unarmed women. She was a wife, a mother and a daughter of the soil, killed by the very force meant to protect her, KWU said.
KWU further stated that on 10 October 2026, Michael Ngamminlen Haokip (23), son of Pu Paothang Haokip, was shot dead at Chassad, allegedly by armed cadres of the NSCN-IM and the Eastern Flank. He was a young man with his whole life ahead of him, and it was cut short in his own village. The women of the Kuki community condemned these killings in strongest possible terms, saying firing multiple rounds into a crowd of peaceful women cannot be called an accident or a lapse of judgment, it is a grave crime and must be answered as one.
Demanding justice, KWU demanded immediate identification, arrest and prosecution of every IRB personnel involved in the killing of Pi Domkhonei Touthang under Sections 103 (Murder) and 105 (Culpable Homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with the Arms Act, and immediate removal of the IRB post from Chassad village. It also demanded arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for killing Michael Ngamminlen Haokip and of anyone who aided or sponsored the act, a fair, time-bound and independent inquiry with findings made public, and adequate compensation and support for both bereaved families.
Addressing the Government of Manipur, KWU said the government holds responsibility to protect every citizen and has failed, stating that women are shot by forces posted among them and sons are gunned down in their own villages, and a government that cannot protect its people has lost moral right to govern them, adding that they do not want condolence messages but justice, accountability and safety. To the Government of India, KWU asked whether their lives are worth less and why they are left to bury mothers and sons while the guilty walk free, stating if a woman can be shot by a force of the Indian state and a young man can be killed in his own village without consequence, what does the promise of equal protection under Constitution mean.
KWU declared full solidarity with the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Kamjong District, in its indefinite, complete bandh and total shutdown at Chassad village which will continue until demands are met, stating Domkhonei Touthang and Michael Ngamminlen Haokip will not be forgotten and their blood will not be allowed to disappear into silence. Meanwhile CoTU has also reiterated that safety and security of people cannot be compromised and administration must take immediate and effective measures to protect vulnerable communities and prevent any further loss of life, as both organizations issued their statements in the interest of public safety and protection of civilian lives.
