Kuki-Zo leaders urge Centre to address Manipur crisis amid national security concerns

Leaders of the Kuki-Zo community convened on Monday, May 12 in Kangpokpi District, Manipur, urging the Centre not to overlook the two-year-long unrest that continues to grip the state. Organized by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the high-level Leaders’ Consultation and Interaction Program brought together representatives from the United People's Front (UPF), the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and various civil society bodies to renew their demand for urgent political intervention.

Held under the theme “Deliberate on the Status of Political Negotiations and Way Forward for Separate Administration, Key Social Concerns and Cohesion, Inclusive Strategies for Kuki-Zo,” the event served as a critical platform for dialogue. Leaders, village chiefs, youth and women representatives, student bodies, and tribe organisations gathered at LNC Hotel in Kangpokpi to deliberate on the community's path forward.

The primary agenda focused on reviving stalled political talks with the Centre and advancing the Kuki-Zo demand for a Separate Administration, specifically a Union Territory with Legislature under Article 239-A of the Constitution. Discussions also highlighted the resettlement of conflict-displaced villages, the social cohesion of the Kuki-Zo people, and inclusive strategies for political and community empowerment.

Addressing the gathering, CoTU Chairman Thanglen Kipgen stressed the urgency of resolving the political impasse. KNO Spokesperson Dr. Seilen Haokip and UPF Spokesperson Aaron Kipgen elaborated on the root causes of the ethnic conflict between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, while calling for immediate attention from the Centre.

Among other speakers were Thangminlen Kipgen, President of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills; Kuki-Zo activist Hejang Misao; Paojakhup Guite, President of KSO Delhi; and Mangboi Haokip, President of Kuki National Assembly (KNA). Together with several intellectuals and representatives, they reaffirmed their collective stand on charting a future based on unity and recognition.

The committee emphasized that this consultation is more than an internal dialogue—it is a clear message to New Delhi that the Kuki-Zo struggle for political identity and justice remains unresolved.