Accusing the central government of favoring a radical Meitei narrative, COTU calls for separate administration under Article 239A to protect Kuki-Zo interests.
BY PC Bureau
The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), based in the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi, has opposed the planned march by the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based organizations, into Kuki-Zo-dominated hill districts. COTU has warned that such an action would violate established buffer zones and escalate tensions in Manipur.
In a press communique, COTU asserted that the buffer zones have been the only viable means of preventing further violence and aggression from what it described as “secessionist Meitei militias.”
The organization criticized the recent directive by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which supported unrestricted movement across Manipur’s roads. According to COTU, “this policy fails to recognize the fragile situation on the ground and echoes what it sees as a radical Meitei narrative.”
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The committee emphasized that essential commodities and food supplies moving through Kuki-Zo areas along National Highway 2 have never been blocked for humanitarian reasons, except for rare occasions meant to draw the central government’s attention to their demands. COTU views the planned march as a “forced intrusion” into Kuki-Zo territories under the guise of assessing the government’s peace initiatives.
“The proposed march is nothing but a precarious political move that could trigger another episode of conflict,” the statement read.
COTU has urged the Governor of Manipur not to align with what it calls the “ethnocentric views” of the Meitei community. Instead, the organization reiterated its demand for separate administration under Article 239A of the Constitution to protect the Kuki-Zo people and maintain stability in the region.
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Meanwhile, FOCS has announced that it will proceed with its march from Imphal to Senapati on March 8, along with other like-minded organizations. Speaking to reporters on March 6, FOCS President Th. Manihar welcomed Home Minister Shah’s declaration allowing free movement across Manipur’s roads and insisted that the march is intended to promote harmony rather than provoke conflict.
“We are marching to send a message of peace, not to create tensions,” Manihar stated.
As both sides remain firm in their positions, the situation in Manipur remains volatile, with concerns that the march could deepen existing ethnic divisions rather than bridge them.
