Kuki Inpi Denounces Republic TV Report on Khulmi Bridge

Imphal: Kuki Inpi Manipur is demanding a public retraction from Republic TV. The group claims the channel broadcast false reports labeling the newly finished Khulmi Bridge a drug trafficking route. The organization sent an open letter to Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and journalist Linthoi Khoirom, accusing the outlet of airing malicious propaganda without verifying facts on the ground.

The Bailey bridge connects the districts of Chandel, Churachandpur, and Tengnoupal. It spans the Gunpi, or Imphal River, at the border of Chandel and Churachandpur. Residents finished the 3.5 crore project in secret over 18 months. They funded the work through community donations after the Sugnu route collapsed following the violence on May 3, 2023. This marks the second attempt at such a crossing; an earlier project, the Seloitha Bridge, stopped before completion. The community kept construction quiet to ensure the build reached the finish line.

Kuki Inpi officials stated that at least eight people died trying to cross the river during emergencies. The bridge now offers safe passage. They dismissed drug trafficking accusations, noting that security forces maintain a camp just 100 meters away. The structure was formally dedicated to Kuki-Zo victims of the conflict. MLAs Paolienlal Haokip and Chinlunthang Zou attended the inauguration in Gammnom village alongside tribal leaders.

Khuraijam Athouba, a former leader of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity, claimed the bridge looks like a suspicious connection point. He alleged that parts of Manipur are becoming a gateway to the Golden Triangle narcotics region. He argued that the construction is illegal and mocks government promises to combat narco-terrorism.

Kuki Inpi representatives shot back at these claims. They insisted that the bridge was an act of survival, not crime. In their open letter, they wrote, "The Khulmi Bridge stands as a testament to public sacrifice and government failure. It was built because our people died, the state remained silent, and the community chose to act."