Churachandpur: In a strong protest, hundreds of people took to the streets in Manipur’s Churachandpur district carrying empty coffins, demanding a separate state and justice for those the protesters described as victims of state terrorism in the volatile region.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the rally, organized by the Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO), commenced at 11 a.m. and concluded at the “Wall of Remembrance,” a memorial dedicated to Kuki Christian people killed by the state apparatus since May 2023. Participants prominently displayed placards demanding justice and a separate administration for hill areas.

The demonstration comes in the wake of a recent incident in which at least 10 people were killed in what has been described as a fake encounter in Jiribam’s Jakuradhor area. Kuki-Zo groups claimed those killed were village volunteers defending their communities. This incident adds to the ongoing ethnic strife between the state-sponsored Hindu Meiteis of the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo Christians in the hills, a conflict that has claimed over 220 lives and displaced thousands since May 2023.

The march culminated in the submission of a memorandum addressed to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding accountability and justice.