Kuki-Zo Council welcomes President Murmu, seeks justice for displaced victims

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has welcomed President Droupadi Murmu ahead of her two-day visit to Manipur beginning December 11, while appealing for her attention to the continued suffering of the Kuki-Zo community displaced by ongoing ethnic violence.

In an official statement issued from its Lamka headquarters, the KZC said the President’s presence in the state “carries deep significance and offers hope to many who continue to live with the scars of the ongoing conflict.” 

President Murmu is scheduled to attend programmes in Imphal and Senapati district.

The council, however, expressed its wish that the President, as a tribal leader herself, could visit Kuki-Zo areas to meet victims of the conflict. “We sincerely wish that the President, being a tribal herself, could also visit the Kuki-Zo areas to meet fellow tribal victims who have suffered immensely since the outbreak of violence,” the statement read.

The KZC said it holds the President in high regard, “not only as the First Citizen of the nation but also as someone who understands the struggles, dignity, and identity of tribal communities.”

The organisation urged President Murmu to take note of the humanitarian crisis faced by the Kuki-Zo community, calling for justice, restoration and lasting peace. It added that the community continues to endure displacement, insecurity and targeted violence “amounting to ethnic cleansing,” and expressed hope that the President’s visit will draw long-overdue attention to these concerns.