There are 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, who have so far remained publicly silent despite growing pressure from groups such as KJuki Inpi to stay away from any Meitei-led government.
BY PC Bureau
January 8, 20926: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex traditional and customary body of the Kuki people, has issued a strong warning to Kuki-Zo legislators, directing them not to participate in or support the formation of a popular government in Manipur under the present circumstances.
In a statement released on January 8, KIM said it fully endorses the resolution adopted by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) at its Governing Council General Meeting on December 30, 2025, a decision that was later reaffirmed by the KZC cabinet. The resolution, KIM said, reflects the collective will, democratic aspirations and lived realities of the Kuki-Zo people in the state.
The warning comes amid growing pressure on Kuki-Zo MLAs, who together hold 10 seats in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, to clarify their stand on the possible formation of a new government. Despite repeated public appeals and formal resolutions from Kuki civil society organisations, the MLAs have so far remained largely silent on whether they would support or join any Meitei-led government.
KIM said the prevailing political, social and security environment in Manipur has made coexistence under the existing administrative arrangement “untenable,” adding that any attempt to normalise governance without addressing ground realities would be fundamentally flawed.
“Kuki Inpi Manipur reiterates that under the present circumstances, no Kuki-Zo individual or legislator—irrespective of political affiliation—should participate in, support, facilitate or legitimise the formation of the Government of Manipur,” the statement said. Any such move, it added, would directly contradict the collective mandate of the Kuki-Zo people and the unified position of their apex representative bodies.
Civil society groups have repeatedly warned that participation in a Meitei-led government without resolving core political issues would amount to legitimising an administration that, they argue, has failed to protect Kuki-Zo lives, land and security during the prolonged ethnic conflict. The continued silence of Kuki-Zo MLAs, observers say, reflects the intense political and social pressure they face from their constituents.
KIM also reaffirmed its full support for the Kuki-Zo Council’s demand for a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory under the Constitution of India, describing it as a legitimate, constitutional and necessary political solution to ensure justice, security and dignity for the Kuki-Zo people.
The apex body cautioned that any attempt to impose or engineer a popular government without addressing this demand would be reckless, illegitimate and disconnected from realities on the ground.
Making its position explicit, KIM said any individual who chooses to act contrary to the collective decision would do so at their own personal responsibility and would neither represent nor bind the Kuki people in any manner.
“The will and wishes of the Kuki-Zo people are non-negotiable,” the statement said, warning that any effort to undermine or bypass the collective mandate would be viewed as a direct affront to the political voice, unity and dignity of the community.
The statement was issued by Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary (Information and Publicity), Kuki Inpi Manipur, who reiterated that KIM remains firmly united with the Kuki-Zo Council and all constituent bodies in pursuing a just, durable and honourable political resolution.
