Kuki-Zo groups of Manipur demand separate Union territory with legislature

Representatives from the Kuki-Zo communities on Thursday demanded that a separate Union territory with legislature should be carved out of the ethnic strife-torn state of Manipur.

At a press conference organised by the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Delhi and NCR, representatives said their demands have now escalated beyond the imposition of the President's rule to the creation of a Union territory with legislature similar to Puducherry. 

The KSO claimed that the crisis has led to the displacement of over 41,000 people, the destruction of more than 200 Kuki-Zo villages, and the loss of 191 lives, including brutal incidents of rape and murder. 

They referred to a purported audio clip of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, which the state government has dismissed as 'doctored', as irrefutable evidence of the crisis. 

The KSO demanded a separate administration, stating that it is the only way to achieve justice for the harm inflicted upon their community. 

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They appealed to the government of India to expedite a political solution. 

Janghaolun Haokip, secretary (information & publicity) of Kuki Inpi Manipur, said they have not received any response from the state or Centre regarding their demand. 

Mang Khongsai, 'home secretary' of KSO GHQ, said Kuki-Zo settlements in the hilly areas have been targeted under the pretext of removing encroachment. 

Michael Haokip, an assistant professor at Ambedkar University, dismissed allegations of the Kuki-Zo being immigrants, citing mentions in Buddhist and Sanskrit texts. 

Tingbem Khongsai, spokesperson of KSO Delhi and NCR, said the country took notice of Manipur only after videos of women being paraded naked surfaced. 

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, after a tribal solidarity march protested the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, over 220 people, including members of both communities and security personnel, have been killed. 

The KSO recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a separate administration and opposed the Centre's decision to withdraw the Assam Rifles from buffer zones in the state.