Tangkhul student bodiesserve ultimatum on Kukis

A day after a mob attack on an Ukhrul-bound passenger vehicle originated from Imphal, two Tangkhul student bodies on Friday issued a 24-hour ultimatum on Kuki community to take action against individuals allegedly involved in the attack.
On June 26, a mob reportedly attacked a Winger passenger vehicle at Mongkot Chepu village along Imphal-Ukhrul road, reportedly leaving a female passenger injured and assaulting the driver of the vehicle.
The incident took place near the Litan Bridge, when two individuals on a motorcycle reportedly overtook a Winger vehicle in an “aggressive” manner.
In response, the driver of the vehicle shouted at them to “overtake properly.” This led to the bikers stopping the vehicle and one of them, allegedly a Kuki, assaulted the driver.
Shortly after, a mob gathered and attacked the vehicle, breaking the windshield and injuring a female passenger.
Two Ukhrul-based student bodies- Katho Katamnao Long and the Tangkhul Naga Valley Students’ Association (TNVSA) – strongly condemned the mob attack. They alleged that the attack was carried out by some members of the Kuki community residing along the Ukhrul-Imphal road (NH-202).
They also slammed the conduct of Mongkot Chepu village chief, accusing him of threatening passengers while under the influence of alcohol.
“This is not the first such provocation,” the two bodies stated in a joint statement. They said repeated attacks on road commuters was a pattern of harassment by certain Kuki villages along the highway.
Despite numerous appeals for peace and mutual understanding, the two bodies said their efforts have been disregarded and perceived as weakness.
They warned of stringent actions if the alleged culprits were not produced within 24 hours.
“Failure to comply with this ultimatum will result in serious and unbearable consequences,” the joint statement warned.
Further, the two bodies threatened to block movement of all Kukis along the NH-202 (Imphal-Ukhrul road) stretch and ban their presence in Ukhrul district. They cautioned that further actions would follow if their demands were not met within the set deadline.