An organisation from Kuki-Zo-majority Kangpokpi district on Sunday lifted its five-day-old economic blockade of a highway connecting Manipur and Nagaland, imposed in protest at central forces from the Meitei-dominated valley being deployed in certain Kuki areas.

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a conglomerate of civil society organisations, freed the lifeline-like NH2, which links Imphal with Dimapur, for goods and passenger traffic after reaching an understanding with “concerned authorities”. It also withdrew the shutdown enforced in Kangpokpi district since Thursday.

Both blockade and shutdown had been called in protest against the deployment of central forces from the valley in Saibol, an area on hilly Kangpokpi’s fringes, and the use of “excessive force” on women demonstrating against this deployment.

A CoTU statement issued on Saturday night said the blockade and the shutdown had been “withdrawn” from 2am of Sunday “as per the understanding with concerned authorities for successful deployment of 112 CRPF Batallion at the fringe areas, especially at Saibol region under Lhungtin Sub-Division”.

The CoTU wants the withdrawal of the Imphal Valley-based central forces that have been stationed in Saibol, and favours the deployment of central forces that were already based in Kangpokpi, such as the 112 CRPF Bn.

The Kuki-Zos believe the valley-based forces are “controlled” by the state home department, which is under chief minister N. Biren Singh whom the community blames for the 20-month-old ethnic conflict that has killed at least 260 people and displaced over 60,000.

The Kangpokpi-basedcentral forces are seen as answering to the districtauthorities in a state wherethe Meitei-majority valley and the tribal-majority hillsare virtually segregated physically and administratively.

While appreciating the authorities for deploying the 112 Bn in Kangpokpi’s fringe areas, the CoTU asserted it “would be forced to resort to a more stringent mode of agitation until and unless the remaining CAPF (central forces) deployed from the valley is withdrawn from the said region/ areas within 48 hours” of the withdrawal of the blockade and shutdown.