Amidst Manipur’s electoral process last Friday for the inaugural phase of the 18th Lok Sabha Election, a striking phenomenon unfolded across most polling stations in Kangpokpi district: complete voter abstention.
The Kuki-Zo community constitutes a significant portion of the populace in numerous polling stations across the three assembly constituencies of Saikul, Kangpokpi, and Saitu, with a minority presence of Naga and Nepalese voters.
The desolate polling stations reverberate with the resounding dissatisfaction of the Kuki-Zo community towards the governing authority.
Of the 24 polling stations designated as ‘Special Polling Stations’ for Displaced Voters from both Inner and Outer parliamentary constituencies, along with the three Model Polling Stations and a majority of the 77 polling stations managed exclusively by women, ‘Zero voter turnout’ persisted until the polling concluded at 4 pm, in stark contrast to other polling venues in the Kangpokpi constituency.
A similar scenario unfolded in the Saikul and Saitu assembly constituencies.
However, a scant number of polling stations situated in areas predominantly inhabited by communities such as the Nagas and Nepalese, alongside those exclusively managed by Persons with Disabilities, witnessed voter participation, albeit at an extremely low percentage.
It is worth recalling that the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, the apex authority of the Kuki tribes within the district, issued a robust statement urging all Kuki residents in Sadar Hills to refrain from participating in the impending Lok Sabha Election.
However, it was made explicit that their stance on the Lok Sabha Polls does not entail ‘boycotting’ but rather opting to ‘abstain from voting’.
In light of mounting public pressure, in conjunction with all stakeholders recognized by the Kuki Inpi Manipur, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills and various Kuki-Zo civil bodies arrived at a unanimous decision to abstain from voting in the forthcoming election.
This collective resolution garnered endorsement from CoTU and local governing bodies at both municipal and village levels.
In a dialogue with the media, K Shongreng, the general secretary of KSO Sadar Hills, emphasized that the ‘zero per cent turnout’ within the Sadar Hills Kuki area serves as a stark testament to their profound disillusionment with the governmental authority.
He underscored that unless the political injustices endured by the Kukis are addressed through appropriate legal avenues, discontent will persist among the Kuki-Zo populace.
“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 deprives us of the prospect of voting in peace,” asserted Shongreng.
