Kuki-Zo Groups Protest Against NIA Investigation Bias

Imphal: Kuki-Zo groups held mass rallies across Manipur on Friday to protest perceived bias by the National Investigation Agency. Coordinated by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights, the demonstrations spanned Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, and Chandel districts. Protesters marched from Koite village to the Tuibong Peace Ground carrying signs questioning why the agency picks and chooses its targets.

Demonstrators submitted a five-point memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah via the Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner. They demanded an impartial review of cases linked to the Arambai Tenggol group and an investigation into the deaths of 15 Kuki individuals, including three pastors. The document also calls for an end to arbitrary detentions and requests greater transparency in federal case filings.

KWOHR president Ngaineikim spoke out against the agency during the Churachandpur event. She claimed that the NIA operates with a clear agenda. “We expected the NIA to stand as an unbiased pillar of justice,” Ngaineikim said. “Instead, we witness a systemic pattern where Kuki-Zo individuals are rounded up and thrown behind bars, while counterparts linked to dominant factions in the Imphal Valley operate with absolute impunity and freedom.”

The group also cited an incident where security forces allegedly fired blank rounds inside a hospital while trying to arrest a patient. Ngaineikim pressed for accountability regarding unsolved cases of sexual violence against Kuki-Zo women. Protesters insist that legal proceedings must rely on hard evidence rather than the target's community identity.