Manipur: KZC raises alarm over resettlement in Torbung Buffer Zone, warns of renewed conflict

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) voiced serious concern over a fresh incident reported late evening of December 16  in the highly sensitive Torbung buffer zone, cautioning that recent administrative actions could reignite violence in the area considered the epicentre of the Manipur conflict.

In a press statement, the KZC recalled that the ethnic violence of May 3, 2023, originated in Torbung, Churachandpur—an area that was once jointly inhabited by Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. The council noted that Torbung witnessed the first fatality of the conflict, when Pastor Sekhonohao Kipgen was allegedly beaten to death in public view. According to the KZC, at least 45 members of the Kuki-Zo community lost their lives within the first two days of the unrest.

Against this backdrop, the council described the decision of the Bishnupur Deputy Commissioner to initiate the resettlement of Meitei internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Torbung buffer zone as “deeply irresponsible and provocative.” It argued that any sensitive and conflict-aware administration would have refrained from undertaking resettlement in such a volatile area, warning that the move risks undoing fragile peace arrangements and triggering renewed confrontation.

The KZC further pointed to earlier attempts by Meitei IDPs to breach the Torbung buffer zone during the Sangai Festival, describing them as part of a recurring pattern of provocation. It demanded that the Bishnupur Deputy Commissioner assume full responsibility for the latest developments and immediately roll back the resettlement process to prevent further escalation.

Raising questions over intent and accountability, the council highlighted a sequence of events preceding Monday night’s incident, including visits by leaders of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) to Meitei IDPs at Torbung Mamang Leikai, followed by a public meeting reportedly organised by Arambai Tenggol, and subsequent firing incidents later that night.

Reiterating its stance, the KZC maintained that the Kuki-Zo community has consistently exercised restraint and strictly adhered to buffer-zone protocols in the interest of preventing further bloodshed. It categorically rejected any attempt to attribute rising tensions to the Kuki-Zo people, asserting that the current situation stems from unilateral administrative decisions and violations of established buffer-zone arrangements.

The council also condemned what it termed “deliberate provocations” during the Christmas season, stating that such actions amount to a calculated attempt to disturb peace and undermine the spiritual sanctity of the Kuki-Zo community.

Placing the developments in a broader political context, the KZC asserted that the Manipur crisis cannot be reduced to a mere law-and-order problem, but is fundamentally a political issue rooted in what it described as ethnic cleansing. It argued that lasting peace is possible only through a political resolution and urged the Government of India to acknowledge what it called the de facto separation of the Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, reiterating its demand for a separate administrative arrangement that it said the community “rightfully deserves.”