The July 4 resolution, backed by top tribal bodies, signals a complete breakdown in trust with the state administration.
BY PC Bureau
July 5, 2025 — In a significant political move reflective of the deepening divide between the Kuki-Zo community and the Manipur state administration, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, has formally resolved that no Kuki-Zo Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) shall participate in the formation of any new government in Manipur.
The decision was made during a high-level joint meeting held on July 4, 2025, at the KIM Secretariat in Bijang, Churachandpur. The meeting brought together representatives of major Kuki-Zo civil society and student organizations, including the Kuki Students’ Organisation-General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ), Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi (KKL-GHQ), Kuki Women’s Union (KWU-GHQ), Kuki Women’s Organisation for Human Rights (KWOH-GHQ), and the Kuki Chiefs’ Association-Manipur (KCA-M).
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The resolution, now formalized through an official memorandum, comes at a time when political instability continues in Manipur following a prolonged ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The violence led to widespread displacement, destruction of homes, and a near-total breakdown of trust between the Kuki-Zo population and the state government. The Kuki-Zo community has since demanded a separate administrative arrangement, citing systemic discrimination, targeted violence, and failure of state mechanisms to ensure their safety and rights.
Amid speculations about attempts to form a new government in Imphal after months of political deadlock, KIM’s resolution sends a clear message of political non-cooperation. “No Kuki-Zo MLA shall participate or take part in any manner in the formation of a new Popular Government in the State of Manipur,” the memorandum states unequivocally.
KIM emphasized that the resolution reflects the collective political will and aspiration of the Kuki-Zo people and is binding on all Kuki-Zo representatives and community organizations. It further reiterated the community’s unwavering stand that under no circumstances will it compromise its ancestral land, cultural identity, or its political, social, and economic rights.
“The decision is made in the interest of the people, and all concerned are advised to adhere to it strictly, both in letter and spirit,” said Khaikhoahaung Gangte, General Secretary of Kuki Inpi Manipur, who signed the memorandum. Copies of the resolution have been circulated to the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), United People’s Front/Kuki National Organisation (UPF/KNO), the Forum of 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, as well as all federating and district units of Kuki Inpi and relevant civil society bodies.
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The move is likely to impact any future efforts by the Manipur government to restore a functioning administration that includes representatives from all communities. With Kuki-Zo legislators effectively withdrawing political support, questions loom large over the feasibility of an inclusive and representative government in the near term.
