Kuki Students’ Organisation slams Manipur PSC for bypassing Lamka as an exam centre amid ethnic unrest. Students from hill districts face 15-hour travel via Aizawl and unbearable costs to reach Guwahati, triggering widespread anger and accusations of discrimination.
BY PC Bureau
July 28, 2025-The decision by the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) to relocate its upcoming Main Examination centre to Guwahati, Assam, bypassing Lamka in Churachandpur district, has sparked strong condemnation and unrest among Kuki student groups and civil society leaders.
The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Delhi & NCR, has sent a formal letter to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, expressing deep anguish over the shift. The group said the move would impose “unjust and burdensome” hardships on aspirants from the Kuki community, many of whom have already been displaced or severely affected by the ethnic violence that has rocked Manipur for over a year.
A Logistical Nightmare for Hill Students
For students from the hill districts, particularly Churachandpur, reaching Guwahati is not only a logistical ordeal but also a financial strain. With no direct air or road connectivity between Lamka and Guwahati, candidates must first travel to Aizawl, Mizoram — a 14-hour journey at best — and then take a one-hour flight to Guwahati. Factoring in overnight halts, unpredictable road conditions, and the costs of accommodation and airfare, the burden becomes immense for students already grappling with trauma and displacement.
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“This decision appears both unjust and burdensome for the affected students. Many are already enduring unimaginable challenges,” the KSO wrote. “Travelling outside the state, far from their homes, adds a layer of hardship that could have been avoided if Lamka had been considered a viable centre.”
The MPSC released a notification for Mains exam with centres at Imphal & Guwahati.
The Majoritarian Meiteis outcast their power to set the exam centre at Imphal which is only accessible to the Majoritarian Meiteis and the Naga tribals only.What’s the point of conducting State… pic.twitter.com/gHOKcvLQ5v
— Lianbawi (@the_singtangpa) July 28, 2025
An Administrative and Moral Failing?
Lamka has functioned as a de facto administrative and academic hub for displaced Kuki-Zo communities since the onset of the ethnic conflict. Its omission from the list of MPSC examination centres is viewed not only as a logistical oversight but as an affront to principles of equality and access.
Signed by KSO president Paojakhup Guite and education secretary Kerry Janggoulen Khongsai, the letter warned that such decisions may be seen as “a denial of educational access” and an infringement on the constitutional rights of marginalised communities.
The KSO has appealed to the Governor to direct the MPSC to include Lamka as an examination centre within the current month, citing both humanitarian concerns and administrative feasibility.
READ: Massive Arms Haul in Manipur Hills: 155 Weapons, Explosives Seized
“If this request is not heeded, Kuki students in Delhi and across India may perceive this as an act of suppressing the educational opportunities of a particular community,” the student leaders cautioned.
The organisation urged the Governor to act with “wisdom and compassion” so that competitive examinations — designed to reward merit and inclusion — are not reduced to instruments of systemic exclusion.
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing inter-ethnic violence, massive displacement, and institutional paralysis in Manipur. With educational institutions disrupted and normalcy far from restored, students from conflict-hit regions face disproportionate disadvantages — making such exclusionary decisions even more disheartening.
The student body warned that ignoring the voices of affected communities would only deepen the sense of alienation and marginalisation among the hill populations.
