Manipur CM stresses peace, normalcy for development on Independence Day

Manipur CM Yummam Khemchand Singh used his 80th Independence Day speech to call peace and normalcy prerequisites for development, citing 477 new police vehicles deployed to reach remote areas. He also condemned Friday's ambush in Kangpokpi district's Langka village that killed two farmers and injured two others, promising the culprits would be prosecuted.

In response, Naga civil bodies including the United Naga Council imposed a 24-hour shutdown across Naga-inhabited areas, and the Liangmai Naga Council did the same in its region. Separately, the banned CorCom coalition of six underground outfits called a general strike boycotting Independence Day entirely, paralyzing markets and transport in Imphal.

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla issued a statement urging national unity and social harmony. The state has been in ethnic unrest since May 2023, with the Kuki-Zo and Meitei conflict having killed over 260 people and displaced more than 60,000.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.