The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHUR) has condemned the FIR against Paokhup Guite as politically motivated, highlighting years of state inaction on hate-filled speeches by Meitei figures. Community voices warn of deepening injustice in Manipur.
BY PC Bureau
May 17, 2025
A wave of condemnation has swept through Kuki-Zo organisations and individuals across Manipur following the filing of an FIR against Paojakhup Guite, President of the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Delhi and NCR. The outcry, led by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), has triggered a chorus of voices denouncing what they describe as targeted persecution, biased law enforcement, and an alarming pattern of ethnic discrimination by the Manipur Police.
KOHUR’s strongly worded press release on May 17 accused the authorities of silencing legitimate political expression while turning a blind eye to repeated hate speech and incitement to violence by members of the Meitei community. The organisation’s condemnation has sparked solidarity statements and online backlash from numerous Kuki civil society groups, student unions, and prominent individuals who view the FIR as a continuation of state-sponsored harassment of their community.
A Hindu Meitei leader Pramod Singh openly confessed in an interview that how they plan to completely annihilate the minority Christian Kukis.
He further says that they have the support of the government and police and the Kukis will not be able to defend themselves this time.… pic.twitter.com/EPrtpHHUH4
— Sincere Dibya (@TheSincereDude) July 23, 2023
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Widespread outrage erupted across Kuki-Zo civil society following the registration of a criminal case against Paokhup Guite, with KOHUR and several prominent organisations denouncing the FIR as a politically motivated attempt to suppress legitimate dissent. The case stems from Guite’s speech at a recent public gathering in Churachandpur, where he issued a “life threat” to any Meitei attempting to cross the buffer zone to attend the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul. Calling on people to ensure that no Meitei “returns alive” from the festival, Guite alleged that the event was being used as a cover for Meitei groups to encroach upon sensitive buffer areas.
Despite the inflammatory nature of his remarks, Guite clarified that the Kuki community holds no objection to the festival itself—a position reiterated by multiple Kuki civil society groups, who argue that the core issue is not the cultural event but the threat of territorial violations and provocation amid heightened tensions.
#Manipur
“Kuki Tumna Hatkani-Will annihilate Kukis”
This is the lyrics & chants of Meitei singer Tapta. While all Indians are busy with #IndiaPakistanWar2025, there’s an open call for Genocide and Meitei Police @manipur_police is completely ok with it.@HMOIndia @RajBhavManipur pic.twitter.com/6pXe8UBXrc— WhatsThePoint (@Point_Wht) May 9, 2025
KOHUR’s statement accuses the Manipur Police of a double standard in the application of criminal law, pointing out that no legal action has been taken against individuals from the Meitei community who have made incendiary, and in some cases genocidal, remarks against Kukis.
One notable figure mentioned is Prof. Premananda, who allegedly incited violence by calling Kukis terrorists and urging for their extermination on live television—yet faced no legal repercussions. KOHUR contrasts this with the immediate filing of an FIR against Guite for expressing concerns about land encroachment, suggesting a pattern of selective law enforcement driven by ethnic and political bias.
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The situation has sparked intense backlash on social media, particularly on platform X (formerly Twitter), where Kuki-Zo community members expressed outrage over what they describe as a growing culture of impunity for hate speech. A key focus of this anger is Meitei folk singer Jayenta Loukrakpam, popularly known as Tapta, whose September 2024 song reportedly includes lyrics calling for the “annihilation of Kukis.” Despite the song’s genocidal overtones, it remains publicly available, and no legal action has been taken. Even as several Kuki-Zo individuals and their sympathisers demanded Tapta’s arrest on X last year itself, the Manipur Police appeared to look the other way—further fuelling accusations of bias and selective law enforcement.
This man called ‘Tapta’, an old #meitei folk singer who had been making racist, provocative songs against kukis since the beginning of the conflict still remain free. His songs are straight up instigating vi0lence and hatred towards kukis and a song that threatens to commit… pic.twitter.com/trfWwBTqSQ
— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) September 22, 2024
This song is not an isolated incident. In July 2023, Tapta released another inflammatory track titled “Immigrants (Chin-Kuki)”, in which he declared that “Meiteis will never have peace until every Kuki is killed.” Although an FIR was filed by the Zomi Students’ Federation at the time, no further legal steps followed, and the singer has continued to produce provocative content.
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Social media users highlighted this discrepancy in law enforcement on May 17. A post by @point_wht at 14:09 IST stated:
“Tapta’s song from September 2024 openly calls for our annihilation, and the police do nothing. Yet, a Kuki leader speaks up, and an FIR is filed. This is not justice—it’s persecution. #KukiLivesMatter.”
Similarly, @dynasticdoungel posted at 15:47 IST:
“The Meitei singer Tapta has been radicalizing his community with songs of hate since last year. His September 2024 song is a call to genocide, but the Manipur Police remain silent. Why this bias? #JusticeForKukis.”
Other posts echoed similar concerns. @igamhilouham questioned at 16:09 IST the legitimacy of Meitei songs where even children chant about killing Kukis. At 17:19 IST, @darylafc pointed out that Meitei leaders like Pramot Singh and Korounganba have made violent public declarations without legal consequence.
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KOHUR’s release contextualized the FIR against Guite within the broader framework of ethnic violence in Manipur. It cited the beheading of Kuki youth David Thiek as one among several heinous acts whose perpetrators remain free, underscoring what it describes as the state’s failure to uphold justice or ensure accountability for violence against Kukis.
“The unchecked harassment, criminalisation, and vilification of the Kuki community by state actors has intensified communal fault lines and undermined the possibility of peace and reconciliation,” the release stated. KOHUR expressed grave concern that the state police are being weaponized as an instrument of ethnic persecution and warned that such practices erode the foundations of democratic governance and rule of law.
The release concluded by affirming KOHUR’s commitment to resisting all unjust actions through constitutional and legal means. It warned that any further attempts to target Kuki individuals would be “resisted, exposed, and met with appropriate legal consequences.”
