Newmai News Network
Imphal | June 22
The National Highway (Imphal-Dimapur road) has been blocked yet again by women of Sadar Hills under Senapati district since yesterday evening demanding the immediate release of four members of the armed group Kuki National Front (KNF) arrested by security forces. Four KHF cadres, a signatory to suspension of operation, were held by personnel of 35 Assam Rifles yesterday at Hengbung located near Kangpokpii. Security forces claimed three small arms were seized from them.
A local function was in progress at Hengbung when the incident reportedly happened. The four KNF activists were covering the President of the outfit, who was attending the function.
Consequently, an indefinite bandh was imposed in Sadar Hills area in pursuit of their demand. NH-2 falls under Sadar Hills. The bandh comes three days after a 10-day economic blockade along all highways was called by several tribal bodies to fulfill their demands. The blockade had rendered tremendous hardship to the common people because of price rise and shortage in supply of essential commodities.
The primary objective of the KNF is to secure a separate state or union territory for the Kuki community and the unification of all scattered Kukis in the new homeland, 'Kukiland.’
It signed a suspension of operation pact involving both the state and central governments.
The KNF split in 1995, with one unit identifying itself as the "presidential faction" and the other as the "military council". The former again split into KNF (Samuel faction) and KNF (Zougam faction).
KNF (Presidential Faction) remains the most powerful of all the factions and has claimed to be the 'real KNF'.
