As Manipur went to polls on Friday for the 1st phase voting of the 18th Lok Sabha Election, most of the polling stations in Kangpokpi district witnessed complete voter abstention.
The Kuki-Zo community constitute a large chunk of the population in most polling stations in the three assembly constituencies of Saikul, Kangpokpi and Saitu, while a few have Naga and Nepalese voters.
The empty polling stations echo the Kuki-Zo community's resounding dissatisfaction with the government.
The 24 polling stations designated as ‘Special Polling Stations’ for Displaced Voters, both from Inner and Outer parliamentary constituencies, the three Model Polling Stations, and most of the 77 polling stations managed exclusively by women witnessed ‘Zero voter turnout’ till the end of voting at 4 pm apart from other polling stations in Kangpokpi constituency.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Manipur's Churachandpur votes but not Kangpokpi
A similar situation was also witnessed in the Saikul and Saitu assembly constituencies.
However, a small number of polling stations in areas primarily imhabited by communities like the Nagas and Nepalese, and the polling stations exclusively managed by Persons with Disabilities, saw voter participation, albeit at a very low percentage.
It may be recalled that the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, the apex body of the Kuki tribes in the district, issued a strong statement urging all Kuki residents in Sadar Hills to refrain from participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election.
However, it made it clear that their approach to the Lok Sabha Polls is not about ‘boycotting’ but rather choosing to ‘abstain from voting’.
Considering the public pressure, in collaboration with all stakeholders recognized by the Kuki Inpi Manipur, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills and various Kuki-Zo civil bodies made a unanimous decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming election.
The unanimous decision was endorsed by CoTU and also at the local level by local town bodies and village authorities.
Speaking to the media, K Shongreng, general secretary of KSO Sadar Hills, underscored that the ‘zero per cent turnout’ among the Kuki community in the Sadar Hills Kuki area is a stark testament to their profound disillusionment with the government.
He emphasized that without addressing the political injustices faced by the Kukis through proper legal channels, discontent would persist among the Kuki-Zo people.
"The unresolved political injustice we endure under the law of the land, compounded by inhumane killings, relentless assaults on our village and churches, and the rampant pillaging of our properties eludes us from the prospect of voting in peace", Shongreng asserted.
