Kuki groups seek separate administration in Manipur
Referring to the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023, the Kuki representatives alleged large-scale destruction and displacement of the community
Kuki organisations on Saturday (May 30) demanded a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people and impartial investigations into the recent clashes in Manipur.
They asserted that the community has faced decades of displacement, violence and constitutional marginalisation.
In a statement issued at a press conference in Delhi, the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Delhi and NCR and other Kuki representatives said the demands were part of a broader call for justice, security and a political solution to the ongoing crisis in the northeastern state.
Call for enforcement of Article 371C
The groups called for enforcement of Article 371C and restoration of the constitutional role of the Hill Areas Committee, alleging that administrative powers over hill villages had been transferred to valley-based authorities in violation of constitutional safeguards.
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They claimed that 462 hill villages had been brought under valley-based revenue jurisdiction, 192 hill villages placed under valley police stations and valley sub-registrar offices exercised jurisdiction over hill lands.
The groups also renewed their demand for a formal inquiry into the 1992-93 violence involving the NSCN-IM, alleging that more than 1,000 Kuki civilians were killed and over 360 villages destroyed during the period.
"There has never been a full accounting," the statement said, demanding rehabilitation and justice for affected families.
Referring to the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023, the Kuki representatives alleged large-scale destruction and displacement of the community.
They claimed that thousands of homes and over 200 churches and places of worship had been damaged or destroyed and more than 41,000 people were displaced.
Also read: Hostage logic, killing fields: How horizontal ethnic conflicts eclipse Northeast vertical struggles
The KSO Delhi and NCR also expressed concern over the continued detention of 14 Kuki-Zo individuals allegedly held by Manipur Naga groups in Senapati district and demanded their "safe, immediate and unconditional release".
The organisation urged the Government of India and central security agencies to intervene decisively and initiate criminal proceedings against those responsible for the alleged abductions.
Protest rallies in Manipur
Meanwhile, Manipur’s civil society organisations on Saturday organised protest rallies in Kuki-Zo inhabited areas of the state, demanding the release of 14 community members allegedly being held hostage and justice for the three Church leaders killed in the recent ambush.
In Churachandpur district, the rally was held under the aegis of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), with participants raising slogans against violence and calling for immediate action against those responsible for the killings.
Protesters also demanded the safe release of the 14 Kuki abducted civilians.
They carried placards bearing messages such as, "How Long Will India Stay Silent", "No Citizen Should Live in Fear", and "Stop Terror and Ethnic Intimidation".
In a statement, Kuki Inpi Manipur said the demonstrations were organised to protest the alleged failure of authorities to identify and bring to justice those involved in the killing of the three church leaders.
Similar rallies were also held in Moreh town of Tengnoupal district and other Kuki-dominated areas, with participants reiterating their demands for justice, security and the release of the abducted civilians.