Manipur: Kuki-Zo groups set 2027 deadline, demand Union Territory with legislature

Representatives of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), and elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on Tuesday, January 13, adopted a set of firm resolutions demanding an expedited constitutional settlement for the Kuki-Zo people, including the creation of a Union Territory with Legislature. 

The resolutions were unanimously passed during a joint meeting held in Guwahati, reflecting growing impatience over prolonged political uncertainty, continuing ethnic strife, and the absence of a durable administrative solution in Manipur.

The meeting began with a comprehensive review of the prevailing political and security situation in the region, recalling a formal political demand submitted to the Centre in September 2023. Participants revisited the prolonged ethnic violence and targeted attacks faced by the community for over a year, while also expressing grave concern over allegations of complicity and inaction by state agencies. The deliberations further took note of what was described as an unprecedented de facto demographic and administrative separation that has persisted for the past 32 months.

Against this backdrop, the joint forum resolved that the Central Government must urgently fast-track negotiations to settle the political demand for a Union Territory with Legislature, backed by robust constitutional safeguards to protect land ownership and indigenous rights. Emphasising the need for certainty and closure, the meeting asserted that any negotiated settlement under the Constitution must be finalised and formally signed before the expiry of the current Manipur Legislative Assembly’s normal tenure.

The participants also laid down clear preconditions for the re-installation of an elected government in the state. According to the resolutions, any future government must furnish a written and time-bound commitment to support the proposed Union Territory with Legislature, and ensure that the settlement process is completed within the present Assembly’s term.

Significantly, the meeting warned of political non-participation should these assurances not be forthcoming. In the absence of concrete commitments from both the Centre and the State, the forum resolved to honour the political will of the people by refraining from participating in the formation of an elected government in Manipur.

Setting a final and non-negotiable timeline, the joint meeting declared that a definitive political solution for the Kuki-Zo people must be achieved before the 2027 General Election, underscoring that further delays would be unacceptable given the scale of displacement, violence, and administrative paralysis experienced in recent years.