Thousands of people across Sadar Hills in Kangpokpi district gathered on Sunday, May 4, to observe “Separation Day,” marking three years since the outbreak of the Manipur conflict on May 3, 2023. The event coincided with a 12-hour shutdown across the region that disrupted normal life and underscored lingering tensions since the violence began.
Business establishments, private offices and educational institutions remained closed during the shutdown. Vehicular movement was suspended except for emergency services, according to local reports, as residents observed the day with solemnity and protest.
The central programme took place at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Phaijang under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Thousands of Kuki-Zo community members, along with civil society organisations and local leaders, attended the ceremony.
Participants laid floral tributes at the graves of those killed in the violence and observed a minute’s silence. The programme included a ceremonial parade and a traditional gun salute by Kuki-Zo volunteers, symbolic acts that combined mourning with a display of unity.
During the event, CoTU Joint Secretary Lamminlun Singsit read out an eight-point declaration previously adopted by the Kuki-Zo community, reaffirming its demands and commitments.
Addressing the gathering, CoTU spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen said the community had endured a “travesty of justice” over the past three years of ethnic conflict. He paid tribute to the dead, saying they had “sacrificed their lives to defend land, homes, pride and dignity.”
Kipgen described Separation Day as both a memorial and an expression of resistance, alleging continued ethnic and religious persecution of the Kuki-Zo people. He urged the community to remain united and to work collectively to secure what he called their “legitimacy” and rights.
Reiterating a demand for freedom “from tyranny,” Kipgen added that any future course of action would remain “within the confines of the Constitution of India.” Separation Day is observed annually by sections of the Kuki-Zo community, while monthly “Remembrance Day” programmes continue in memory of those killed in the May 2023 violence. The observance highlights unresolved grievances and the continued call for justice and recognition three years after the conflict began.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/video/thousands-observe-separation-day-in-manipurs-kangpokpi-amid-shutdown-across-sadar-hills-1385464-2026-05-03?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-05-03 19:59:00
