Three years after Manipur conflict, Kuki groups intensify demand for political separation

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on Sunday, May 4 observed the third anniversary of the Manipur conflict as “Separation Day”, reiterating its demand for a Union Territory.

In a statement issued on the occasion, the apex Kuki body said the three years since the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023 had been marked by “untold suffering”, alleging discrimination, institutional bias and selective enforcement of law by the state government.

The organisation stated that recent developments, including the arrest of social leader Okthokhang Baite, reflected what it described as “arbitrary action based on questionable inputs”, adding that such measures had further deepened mistrust while perpetrators of serious violence continued to evade accountability.
Highlighting the humanitarian impact of the conflict, KIM said thousands of Kuki-Zo people continued to suffer from trauma, displacement and loss of livelihood. It stated that the prolonged crisis had severely affected the community’s social, economic and psychological well-being.

“The present arrangement is neither sustainable nor just,” the organisation said, asserting that the community could no longer continue under conditions that “deny dignity, justice and constitutional safeguards”.

Calling upon the Government of India to recognise what it termed the “ground realities”, KIM urged immediate and accountable measures toward a “just and equitable solution”, while renewing its long-standing demand for a separate administrative arrangement.

The organisation also appealed for unity among Kuki-Zo communities and urged people to remain committed to their pursuit of justice while remembering those killed during the violence.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) issued a separate statement sharply criticising the authorities and alleging that “Kuki-Zo lives remain the cheapest commodities in India” even three years after the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur.

The rights body demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the events of May 2023 and accused the then government led by N. Biren Singh of presiding over what it termed a “systematic ethnic cleansing campaign” allegedly carried out in coordination with armed groups.

KOHUR claimed that despite documented allegations of killings, sexual violence and arson, there had been “no arrests and zero prosecutions” in several major cases, describing the situation as a “complete collapse of the rule of law”.

Referring to the attack on BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte during the violence, the organisation said the incident demonstrated that even elected representatives were not spared, raising concerns over public safety and accountability.

The organisation further alleged that the looting of thousands of weapons from state armouries and subsequent attacks on Kuki-Zo villages reflected a “pattern enabled or ignored by elements within the state apparatus”.

KOHUR placed several demands before the authorities, including a time-bound probe under Supreme Court supervision, immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in major attacks, public disclosure of forensic and digital evidence, and strict legal action against all identified perpetrators.

It also sought the banning of armed groups allegedly linked to the violence and called for comprehensive rehabilitation and reparations for displaced persons continuing to live in relief camps.

“The victims remain stateless in their own country, while perpetrators walk free,” the organisation stated, adding that it would continue to pursue accountability “in every court and forum”.