Imphal: Transgender social activist Malem Thongam, who is on a more than 2,300-km cycling journey from New Delhi to Manipur to promote peace, crossed Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday under heavy security, following a warning issued by a Kuki organisation.
Thongam, a member of the Meitei community, began her ‘Cycling for Manipur Peace’ expedition from Qutub Minar in New Delhi on October 2.
After travelling through several states, she reached the Naga-dominated Senapati district on Wednesday.
She was scheduled to cycle through the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on Friday before concluding the journey in Imphal.
However, citing security concerns, the activist altered her plan and left Senapati early on Thursday morning in a special security convoy provided by central forces.
She later reached Sekmai in Imphal West district, about 22 km from the state capital. “I will reach Imphal on Friday,” Thongam said.
She said she did not cycle through Kangpokpi due to the prevailing security situation and instead travelled through the district under protection.
Earlier, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a prominent Kuki organisation, had urged the authorities to immediately stop the expedition.
In a statement, the group warned that if any untoward incident occurred during the activist’s passage through Kangpokpi, responsibility would lie with the authorities and not with the Kuki-Zo people of the district.
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Manipur has remained deeply divided since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted in May 2023, leaving more than 260 people dead and thousands displaced.
Since the outbreak of violence, members of the two communities have largely avoided entering each other’s areas.
Against this backdrop, BJP MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei leader, visited a relief camp housing displaced Kuki families in Ukhrul district on December 8, becoming the first leader from either community to cross the ethnic divide and visit a camp of the other side.
The visit, however, drew sharp criticism from Kuki organisations, which termed it a “calculated political exercise” rather than a gesture of genuine outreach.
The state has been under President’s Rule since February, following the resignation of BJP leader N Biren Singh as chief minister amid mounting criticism over his government’s handling of the prolonged crisis.
