The apex Kuki-Zo civil society organisation warned that the visit could trigger strong public reactions in sensitive hill districts such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
BY PC Bureau
May 13: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex civil society body of the Kuki-Zo community, has joined the growing opposition to Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s proposed visit to Kuki-Zo dominated districts on May 15, warning that the trip could further inflame tensions in the violence-hit state.
In a strongly-worded statement issued from its administrative headquarters in Lamka on Tuesday, KIM said the prevailing situation in Kuki-Zo inhabited districts such as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal remained “highly sensitive and volatile,” and cautioned that the Chief Minister’s visit carried a “genuine and imminent risk” of triggering strong public reactions.
The statement came a day after several Kuki militant groups announced a boycott of the proposed visit and warned against the Chief Minister entering Kuki-Zo areas.
KIM acknowledged that the Chief Minister had previously visited other hill districts without major incidents, but stressed that the situation in Kuki-Zo areas was materially different because the underlying political and ethnic tensions remained unresolved.
READ: Kuki Militant Group Warns Manipur CM Against Entering Kuki-Zo Territory
“It is now learnt that the Chief Minister may undertake a visit to Kuki-Zo populated areas, particularly Lamka/Churachandpur, on May 15. However, the prevailing situation in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts stands on a materially different footing,” the organisation said.
The civil society body declared that it and its affiliated organisations would oppose any official visit by the Manipur government until the Kuki-Zo community’s demand for a separate administration is “duly considered.”
KIM further warned that any move perceived as ignoring the sentiments and political aspirations of the Kuki-Zo people could deepen mistrust and damage prospects for long-term peace in the region.
The statement, signed by Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary (Information), Kuki Inpi Manipur, urged the Chief Minister to defer the visit until conditions become “conducive for a safe, meaningful and constructive engagement with the public.”
With both armed groups and influential civil society organisations now openly opposing the proposed visit, pressure is mounting on the Manipur government to reconsider the programme amid fears of unrest in the hill districts.
The demand for a separate administration has emerged as one of the central political demands of Kuki-Zo organisations following the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023. Several Kuki groups have argued that the existing administrative structure has failed to ensure security and political protection for the community, leading to repeated calls for a Union Territory or separate administrative arrangement for Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.
