KSO president Paojakhup Guite accused Kuki-Zo leaders, including MLAs, of betrayal, vowing to turn the separate administration demand into a people’s movement.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, October 25, 2025 – The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Delhi & NCR, staged a fiery rally at Jantar Mantar today, launching a scathing critique of Kuki-Zo MLAs, militant groups under the Suspension of Operations (SOO) agreement with the Centre, and the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC).
Themed “Separate Administration,” the event echoed with war cries of “Popular government is a forged government” and “Separation is true justice.” Speakers, led by KSO president Paojakhup Guite, expressed deep frustration with the community’s leadership, advocating for a new set of representatives through a “People’s Movement” to fulfill the Kuki-Zo aspirations.
In a rousing address infused with theatrics, Paojakhup began by recounting the community’s decades of pain and suffering before launching a pointed attack on the MLAs, SOO groups, and KZC. He criticized the Kuki-Zo MLAs for not attending the rally despite invitations, noting their absence from a similar meeting in Churachandpur three days ago.
Addressing Kuki-Zo students dressed in black and wielding placards, he emphasized a vision for a grassroots-driven movement, urging broader community involvement.
“The demand for a separate administration is not born out of ambition, but out of sheer necessity,” said the KSO president . “For over a year, our people have been forced to live as refugees in their own state, deprived of justice, dignity, and basic security. Despite repeated appeals, the Manipur government has failed to protect Kuki-Zo citizens from targeted violence, arson, and displacement. The trust that once held our communities together has been shattered, and reconciliation is impossible without first ensuring safety and equality under a new administrative arrangement.”
He added, “Our call for separate administration is a democratic and constitutional demand for survival. We seek not division, but dignity — an administrative framework that guarantees representation, rehabilitation, and peace. The Kuki-Zo people have been systematically excluded from governance, and their voices silenced in the state assembly. It is time for New Delhi to recognize that restoring normalcy in Manipur requires structural change, not temporary ceasefires. Separate administration is the only path to lasting peace, justice, and coexistence.”
In a later interview with The Power Corridor, Paojakhup warned of “consequences” for MLAs who continue to disregard the people’s voice. “The KSO Churachandpur is holding a consultation in two days. If the MLAs don’t attend this time, they will surely face the consequences,” he stated.
He expressed doubt about the SOO groups and KZC achieving separate administration, saying, “Even if they negotiate with the Centre, it will be about trivial matters like stipends and concessions, not our core demand.”
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Paojakhup described the current leadership as a “tripod”: SOO groups at the apex, KZC below them, and MLAs at the base, with the people excluded. “We are transforming this movement for separate administration into a mass movement,” he declared.
Other speakers included L. Thangpu Guite, who delivered the welcome address, followed by Nu Marlyan (Convenor, Kuki-Zo Women Forum), Thangminlal Doungel, Glady Vaiphei, Boilen Haokip, Hoinu Touthang, and Letkholun Suantak.
In his welcome speech, Guite highlighted the Kuki-Zo community’s profound suffering—hundreds of villages destroyed, over 60,000 displaced, and more than 200 lives lost since the Meitei-Kuki-Zo conflict began in May 2023. “We stand before the world and the principles of democracy—who have suffered deeply yet continue to hold on—declaring that we will not be silenced!” he asserted, emphasizing the community’s resilience and calling for justice, security, and dignity.
Guite passionately advocated for a Union Territory (UT) with legislature, modeled on the Pondicherry Model, as the only path to peace, accusing the Manipur administration of “constitutional subjugation.” He urged policymakers to listen, appealed to the community’s unity, and concluded with: “Long live the Kuki-Zo people! Separate Administration is the only solution! May our efforts today lay the foundation for a just and lasting solution. Thank you. Jai Hind.”
Memorandum Submitted to Prime Minister
Concurrently, the KSO Delhi & NCR submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office, demanding urgent action on the escalating ethnic violence in Manipur.
The document, released as a press statement, accuses the central and state governments of complicity in a “systematic ethnic cleansing” and details the plight of the Kuki-Zo community, displaced en masse since May 2023.
The memorandum underscores the conflict’s toll: over 200 deaths, the destruction of more than 360 churches and 6,000 houses, and the displacement of over 60,000 people, including more than 30,000 children, rendering the Kuki-Zo “exiles in their own land.”
It alleges that the Manipur police and state administration have failed to protect the community, instead shielding perpetrators, while the central government’s silence and refusal to address a U.S. SEC summons signal neglect. The document cites the disruption of villages, education, healthcare, and cultural sites as evidence of targeted violence, labeling it a “textbook case of constitutional subjugation.”
Key Demands
The memorandum outlines five critical demands:
Justice and Accountability: An independent, transparent investigation into atrocities since May 2023, with action against perpetrators to restore public trust.
Separate Administrative Setup: A judicial or quasi-judicial framework for the Kuki-Zo under Union Government oversight to ensure safety and development.
Safeguard Against Forced Integration: Protection from the state’s alleged efforts to forcibly integrate the Kuki-Zo into a majority structure, deemed a rights violation.
Relief and Rehabilitation: Immediate measures to address inequality, provide dignified living conditions, compensation, and livelihood support for displaced families and students.
Maintenance of Buffer Zone: Preservation of the buffer zone between Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas to prevent renewed conflict, warning of potential violence if altered.
The KSO urges swift action, cautioning that inaction could “fracture that faith beyond repair.”
Appeal for Constitutional Assurance
Framing the crisis as a moral and constitutional challenge, the memorandum appeals to the Prime Minister:
“Our community stands wounded but resolute. The Kuki-Zo people still believe in the idea of India—a just, inclusive, and harmonious nation. Yet, the reality we endure in Manipur reflects abandonment.”
It concludes with a plea:
“May your government restore to our people the most sacred of assurances: the right to live without fear and to govern ourselves in peace within the great Union of India.”
