State-Sanctioned Oppression? Kuki-Zo People Stand Defiant” – Protests intensify following the killing of a Kuki youth and injuries to dozens, as the community vows to resist forced integration.
BY PC Bureau
The ongoing tensions in Manipur have escalated into a full-blown crisis following the Indian government’s controversial decision to enforce “free movement” in Kuki-Zo areas. This move, which the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) has condemned as reckless, led to violent confrontations between security forces and protesters, culminating in bloodshed and mass unrest. The Kuki community is now demanding justice, asserting that they have been subjected to state-sponsored oppression and brutality.
Tragedy in Kuki-Zo Regions: Death and Injuries in Protest Crackdown
The most recent violence erupted when security forces escorted Meitei individuals into Kuki-Zo areas, ignoring repeated warnings of potential clashes. Protesters, primarily women, took to the streets to block the movement, fearing further communal strife. The situation quickly turned tragic when security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing a young Kuki man, Lalgouthang Singsit of Keithelmanbi. Reports confirm that at least two others remain in critical condition, while more than 50 women suffered severe injuries due to excessive police force.
ALSO READ: Opinion: Not Bullets and Bayonets—Manipur Needs Justice and Accountability
The KSO General Headquarters strongly condemned the government’s actions, accusing it of fueling tensions instead of resolving them. “The government’s decision reflects a blatant disregard for the ongoing conflict and the emotions of the people directly affected,” the organization stated in an official release.
Kuki-Zo In
#Manipur_Violence #Gamgiphai#InternationalWomensDay
The actions of the central forces on March 8, 2025, raise serious questions about the government’s treatment of Kuki women and their consistent disregard for the dignity and safety of civilians in conflict zones. On a day… pic.twitter.com/HNff7SblOL
— Official KSO Shillong (@kso_shillong) March 8, 2025
definite Shutdown and Nationwide Protests
#Manipur_Violence #Gamgiphai#InternationalWomensDay
The actions of the central forces on March 8, 2025, raise serious questions about the government’s treatment of Kuki women and their consistent disregard for the dignity and safety of civilians in conflict zones. On a day… pic.twitter.com/HNff7SblOL
— Official KSO Shillong (@kso_shillong) March 8, 2025
In response, the Kuki-Zo Council has called for an indefinite shutdown across all Kuki-Zo regions, a move that the KSO fully supports. The shutdown aims to demonstrate the community’s firm opposition to government policies that they say have endangered their safety and dignity.
ALSO READ: The Cost of Enforced Peace: One Killed, 25 Injured, Tensions Flare in Manipur
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi & NCR (KSOD&NCR) has announced a candlelight vigil at India Gate at 10 PM tonight. The vigil will be a solemn yet defiant gathering aimed at exposing what they describe as state-sponsored violence and demanding separate administration for the Kuki community.
KSOD&NCR leaders have urged media houses, human rights organizations, and concerned citizens to bear witness to the “oppressive and brutal high-handedness of the government.” The demand for a Union Territory with Legislature for Kukis is growing louder as frustrations against the state and central governments intensify.
KANAM: “Join or Die”—A Community at a Breaking Point
The Kuki Alliance for Nampi Awakening Movement (KANAM) issued a scathing statement, denouncing both the Manipur state government led by Biren Singh and the Union government under Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla. KANAM accused them of engineering the ethnic violence that has displaced over 40,000 Kukis and resulted in mass atrocities, including sexual violence against Kuki women.
In an explosive statement, KANAM declared:
“If the Indian government wants to exterminate us, let them do so properly. Let the mighty Indian Air Force bomb our lands, as they did in Aizawl in 1966, or build gas chambers like Hitler did, so we may sacrifice our lives with pride.”
This unprecedented call for resistance signals the depth of despair within the Kuki community. Citing past horrors—including the gang-rape and murder of Kuki women, the beheading of their men, and the destruction of villages—KANAM vowed that such atrocities would never happen again.
The chilling ultimatum from KANAM—“Join or Die”—paints a grim picture of the current crisis. It underscores the community’s refusal to allow further persecution and signals that a new phase of resistance may be on the horizon.
Growing Demand for Justice and Separate Administration
The Kuki-Zo people have long been demanding separate administrative status to escape what they perceive as oppression by the Meitei-majority Manipur government. With the latest round of violence, the call for a Union Territory with Legislature has reached a boiling point.
As night falls over India Gate, the world will watch whether the Kuki community’s cries for justice will be heard—or if they will continue to be met with silence and suppression.
The coming days may prove decisive in the Kuki struggle for survival, dignity, and self-determination.
