New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing political maneuvering over government formation in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) on Wednesday reiterated their demand for a separate administration as a ‘Union Territory with a legislature’ under Article 239A of the Indian Constitution. Kuki-Zo Council chairman Henlianthang Thanglet submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah.
The memorandum states: “The Government of India is fully aware that the Kuki-Zo people can neither return to Imphal nor accept the pre-conflict status quo. Therefore, we humbly appeal to the Union Home Minister to take serious cognizance of these grievances. We urge the Central Government to utilize its constitutional powers to expedite political dialogue with our authorized representatives (KNO and UPF) so that a just and constitutional political solution can be arrived at soon.”
In the memorandum submitted to the Home Minister, a copy of which is available with ETV Bharat, Thanglet stated that for the past nearly three years, the Kuki-Zo people have been suffering immensely due to the ethnic conflict with the Meitei community.
Thanglet said, “More than 250 innocent Kuki-Zo lives have been lost. Over 7,000 houses have been burnt down. 360 places of worship have been desecrated or damaged, and more than 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced from their homes and properties. The Kuki-Zo population has been completely driven out of the Imphal Valley, resulting in a complete physical, administrative, and psychological separation between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people. It has been clearly observed and documented that sections of the state government machinery were complicit in these atrocities or failed to prevent them. Under these circumstances, there is no scope left for the Kuki-Zo people to remain under the same administration.” Opposing the rehabilitation of Meitei internally displaced persons (IDPs) in buffer zone areas, Thanglet said, “There are credible reports that Meitei displaced persons have been resettled in Torbung and Serou areas of Churachandpur and Sugnu, and similar attempts have been made in the Doilathabi area as well. All these areas fall within or are in close proximity to the buffer zones and Kuki-Zo settlements. Such actions are being viewed as direct provocations, raising serious concerns of renewed conflict.”
He stated that the buffer zones were established specifically to prevent confrontations and bloodshed. Thanglet warned, “Any violation of this arrangement, its weakening, or selective implementation undermines public trust, weakens law and order, and poses a threat to this fragile peace.”
Demanding the protection of land and properties of the Kuki-Zo community in the Imphal Valley, Thanglet said that after the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, thousands of Kuki-Zo people were forcibly displaced from the Imphal Valley, leaving behind their land, homes, and properties.
Thanglet said, “There are widespread reports that many of these properties have been burnt, looted, destroyed, or illegally encroached upon, while the remaining properties are also under threat of illegal occupation and unlawful transfer. We humbly urge the Home Minister to ensure that all lands and properties of the Kuki-Zo community in the Imphal Valley are secured and protected, and that their transfer or allocation is not permitted under any circumstances.”
Meanwhile, A.K., Advisor (North-East) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, is working to ensure lasting peace in Manipur. Mishra is holding separate talks with the “Suspension of Operations” (SoO) groups of various insurgent outfits in the state. It is important to note that the current phase of President’s Rule in Manipur will end on February 13, 2026. President’s Rule was imposed in the state on February 13, 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh last year.
