Kuki students’ body writes to Manipur Governor over displacement, discrimination at IGNTU-RCM

The Kuki Students’ Organisation–General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ) has submitted a representation to the Governor of Manipur seeking urgent intervention over issues faced by Kuki-Zo students and employees of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University–Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM).
In the memorandum dated January 12, the organisation highlighted the difficulties faced by Kuki-Zo students and staff who were internally displaced following the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023.
The KSO stated that all Kuki-Zo students and employees of IGNTU-RCM were forced to flee the campus at Makhan in Kangpokpi district due to security concerns. Despite being displaced, they continue to pursue their academic and professional responsibilities under challenging circumstances.
The organisation alleged that while Kuki-Zo students are unable to access the Makhan campus, the university’s administrative office is being operated from Imphal from time to time, primarily benefiting non-Kuki-Zo communities. This, it said, has resulted in unequal access to academic and administrative facilities for Kuki-Zo students and employees.
Calling the situation unjustifiable, the KSO said such practices undermine the very purpose of IGNTU-RCM, which was established to serve all tribal communities of Manipur without discrimination.
The student body requested the Governor’s intervention to facilitate the establishment of a temporary IGNTU-RCM office in Churachandpur. According to the memorandum, this would help Kuki-Zo students access academic services while allowing displaced employees to discharge their duties effectively.
The KSO also raised concerns regarding Guest Faculties in the Departments of Tribal Studies and Sociology & Social Anthropology. It stated that Guest Faculties have been serving the university since 2013 without any permanent recruitment, despite performing responsibilities equivalent to those of permanent staff.
Terming the situation as exploitation, the organisation pointed out that the Guest Faculties are neither engaged as full contractual staff nor provided any opportunity for regularisation over the past decade.
The KSO urged the Governor to intervene urgently, warning that continued inaction would further marginalise displaced students and staff and adversely affect the functioning and academic integrity of the institution