Highlighting widespread violence, displacement, and constitutional violations since May 2023, the Kuki apex body details a series of demands, including land rights protections, empowered Autonomous District Councils, and accountability for those involved in the conflict.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI – The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, has submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, appealing for the expedited creation of a “Kukiland Union Territory with Legislature” to address what it describes as a grave and ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by the Adivasi Kuki community in Manipur.
Dated August 1, 2025, the memorandum highlights the severe deterioration of the situation since May 3, 2023, leading to significant loss of life, widespread displacement, property destruction, and systemic injustice against the minority Kuki population.
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The memorandum asserts that Kuki colonies in Imphal and villages in the Hill Districts have been targeted by radical groups such as Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, among others, allegedly supported by “radicalized police commandos” and various Meitei Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). These “well-orchestrated attacks” are cited as having resulted in massacres, rapes, arson, and displacement, further exacerbated by what the KIM describes as misinformation campaigns by certain media outlets that have “vilified” the Kuki community. The violence has led to significant displacement, destruction of properties, and loss of life.
Key Concerns and Demands Outlined in the Memorandum:
The memorandum details a series of “constitutional violations” and urgent demands for central intervention:
- Unlawful Forest Declarations: KIM calls for the immediate rescission of all “unlawful Reserved Forest declarations” and “illegally constituted Protected Forests” in Manipur’s Hill Areas, asserting that these actions, carried out between 1927 and 2022, violate various acts including the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, as well as constitutional articles. They argue that many such declarations stand legally repealed under the Manipur Hill Areas (House Tax) Act, 1966.
- Manipulation of Land Records: The memorandum highlights the “systematic manipulation of land records” since 1960, where tribal lands were progressively recorded as government or forest land, violating constitutional safeguards and various acts including the MLR & LR Act, 1960. They demand the withdrawal of unlawful power transfers from the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) to the Revenue Department regarding village creation and recognition.
READ: KIM MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO PRESIDENT OF INDIA (1)
- Encroachment by Non-Scheduled Tribes: KIM seeks urgent central action against increasing encroachment by non-tribal individuals and organizations into tribal lands in the Hill Areas, facilitated by “unlawful land allotments”.
- Illegal Extension of Police Jurisdictions: The memorandum denounces the “illegitimate extension of Valley District Police Jurisdictions” into Scheduled Hill Areas, stating it is an “unconstitutional encroachment” that breaches tribal autonomy. They cite specific examples of valley police stations extended into Kuki-inhabited hill districts.
- Kukiland Union Territory: A central demand is the creation of a “Kukiland Union Territory with Legislature” under Article 239A (Puducherry Model), encompassing Kuki-dominated areas like Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Pherzawl, Noney, Tousem Sub-Division (Tamenglong), and LM Block (Ukhrul).
- Empowerment of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs): KIM calls for the strengthening of ADCs through constitutional amendment, clarification and implementation of Article 371C, and consideration for bringing the Hill Areas under the Sixth Schedule. They also seek the rescinding of unauthorized Panchayat bodies within ADC jurisdictions.
- Invocation of Samatha Judgment: The memorandum invokes the Samatha Judgment (1997) as a precedent to protect tribal land rights, arguing that attempts to alienate land or extend state authority without ADC/HAC consent violate this doctrine.
- Protection of Displaced Properties and Compensation: KIM expresses deep concern over the protection of displaced Kuki properties in both Imphal and Hill Villages from illegal occupation and calls for fair compensation as per the LARR Act, 2013, for displaced persons and victims of violence.
- Action Against Perpetrators: The memorandum calls for “stringent legal action” against individuals and groups allegedly responsible for inciting and executing violence against the Kuki community, specifically naming political leaders, militant leaders, security forces, and activists. They accuse these parties of spreading misinformation, inciting hatred, and making baseless accusations against Kukis.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur emphasizes that immediate intervention by the Central Government is crucial to restore trust in democratic institutions and prevent further ethnic polarization in the region.
