BY PC Bureau
January 14, 2026: In a strong display of unity and political resolve, thousands from the Kuki-Zo community on Wednesday held coordinated, peaceful mass rallies across Manipur’s hill districts, renewing their long-standing demand for the creation of a separate Union Territory with legislative powers. The mobilisation reflected deep-rooted grievances arising from prolonged ethnic violence, large-scale displacement, and what community leaders describe as a complete erosion of trust in the Manipur state administration.
The rallies were led by major Kuki-Zo civil society organisations, including the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), and several other tribal bodies, as part of a broader campaign across Kuki-inhabited areas.
Churachandpur Emerges as Epicentre
The largest rally was held in Churachandpur district, a focal point of the movement. Beginning around 11 a.m., protesters marched in coordinated processions from multiple locations—Sielmat Playground, Koite Playground, and Rengkai Community Hall—before converging at Peace Ground in Tuibong, near the office of the District Commissioner.
Participants included elders, women, students, church leaders, youth groups, and representatives of civil and philanthropic organisations. The march covered over four kilometres, with demonstrators carrying placards reading “Union Territory with Legislature Now,” “Expedite Our Political Solution,” “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied,” and “No Participation in Manipur Government Without Justice.” Chanting slogans for a separate administration, long columns of protesters filled the town’s roads.
Organisers estimated that several thousand people took part in Churachandpur alone. Similar rallies were reported from Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Pherzawl, Tamenglong, and Chandel districts. Schools and many local establishments remained closed in solidarity, enabling broad-based participation.
Pressure on Centre to Expedite Political Settlement
Addressing the gathering at Peace Ground, Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for both the ITLF and the KZC, said the mobilisation was aimed at pressing the Government of India to accelerate political negotiations.
“Our demand is clear—to expedite a political solution for the Kuki people. The crisis in Manipur has dragged on for nearly three years, and thousands have come out today to show their resolve,” Vualzong said.
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The Kuki-Zo community has unequivocally conveyed its demand for Separate Administration from Manipur and no participation in the formation of the Popular Government in Manipur through a public rally today. The Government must acknowledge the urgent pleas of the persecuted… pic.twitter.com/k7DOPnxxvK
— H S Benjamin Mate (@BenjaminMate1) January 14, 2026
He noted that the Kuki Council had already submitted a political charter seeking Union Territory status with Legislature under Article 239A of the Constitution, and while talks had begun with Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF)—both under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement—progress remained slow.
The public meeting was also addressed by KZC chairman Henlienthang Thanglet, along with leaders from student bodies and social organisations, all of whom reiterated the need for a constitutionally guaranteed political settlement.
Memorandum and Core Demands
Following the rally, KZC and ITLF leaders submitted a detailed memorandum to the Union Home Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur. The memorandum reiterated the demand for a Union Territory with its own legislature, encompassing Kuki-Zo-inhabited hill areas.
It cited mass killings, destruction of homes and places of worship, and the displacement of over 40,000 people since ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, as the primary justification for seeking a separate administrative arrangement. The document also highlighted what it described as a “de facto demographic and administrative separation” over the past 32 months.
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The memorandum further stated that the Kuki-Zo community would not participate in the formation of a popular government in Manipur unless there is a written, time-bound commitment from the Centre and the state to finalise the political settlement before the current Assembly’s tenure ends in February 2027.
The rallies come amid prolonged political uncertainty in Manipur, which has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025. A day earlier, on January 13, Kuki-Zo MLAs, representatives of SoO groups, and Kuki Council leaders met in Guwahati, where they adopted resolutions urging the Centre to expedite a negotiated settlement under the Constitution.
The resolutions also set a firm deadline, stating that a political solution for the Kuki people must be achieved before the 2027 General Election. Any new elected government in Manipur, they said, must provide a written assurance supporting the implementation of a Union Territory with Legislature within the remaining Assembly tenure.
The protests remained entirely peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported. However, they underscored the deepening ethnic and political divide between the Kuki-Zo tribes in the hill districts and the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley.
As participants dispersed after sunset, organisers made it clear that the rallies marked not an end, but an intensification of the campaign—signalling sustained pressure on the Centre until a concrete political resolution is delivered.
