With over 60,000 displaced, 223 lives lost, and 300 churches burned, the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur has reached out for global support. Their letter to the U.S. President calls for urgent action, demanding a separate State or Union Territory for their people’s safety.
BY PC Bureau
The Kuki-Zo diaspora in the United States, under the banner of Kuki Inpi USA, has issued an urgent appeal to the USA President Donald Trump, urging the U.S. government to intervene in what they describe as a state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of their community in Manipur.
In a formal letter, addressed to the White House, Kuki Inpi USA has highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region, citing mass killings, displacement, and destruction of homes and places of worship.
ALSO READ New Video of Armed Men Playing Football Surfaces in Manipur:
A Plea for Justice and Intervention
The letter, dated February 13, 2025, begins with a congratulatory note to Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States. However, it swiftly transitioned into a distress call regarding the alleged persecution of the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur.
“We, the Kuki-Zo diaspora from India, extend our heartiest congratulations on your election,” the letter states. “We trust that under your leadership, democratic values, justice, and prosperity will flourish in the United States and throughout the world. However, we write today with a heavy heart, seeking your attention to the plight of the minority Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur, India, who are currently experiencing a violent ethnic cleansing.”
The letter described Manipur as a small state in northeast India, where the majority Meitei community, predominantly Hindu, controls the political and economic landscape. The Kuki-Zo tribes, who are primarily Christian, have long been marginalized. However, tensions escalated into outright violence in May 2023, allegedly with the support of the Manipur state government.
ALSO READ: Fraudulent Calls Target Manipur MLAs Amid Political Unrest
Mass Killings, Sexual Violence, and Forced Displacement
According to Kuki Inpi USA, the violence has resulted in the deaths of 223 Kuki-Zo individuals, the burning of over 7,000 homes, and the forced displacement of 60,000 people. Additionally, more than 300 churches have been desecrated, destroyed, or burned down.
“The violence against us is carried out by Meitei mobs with the tacit support of the State Chief Minister, Mr. N. Biren Singh,” the letter alleges. “More than 6,000 automatic weapons and 600,000 bullets and bombs were given to Meitei extremists by the state government to facilitate their attacks against our people.”
The atrocities described include beheadings, the brutal murder of men, and acts of sexual violence against women and children.
“They chopped off the heads of our men and murdered them in the most brutal manner. Our women and children were not spared. Our women are paraded naked, raped, and killed. The list of human rights violations and atrocities committed against us is too many to be mentioned here.”
The letter also references a statement by Promod Singh, leader of the radical Meitei Leepun group, who reportedly admitted to the violence being “genocide” in an interview with journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire.
A Call for a Separate State or Union Territory
Despite numerous peaceful protests, legal actions, and formal appeals to the Indian government, the Kuki-Zo community claims their cries for justice have been ignored.
“The Honorable Home Minister Amit Shah created a buffer zone between Meitei-dominated areas and Kuki-Zo-dominated areas. To this day, the Kuki community cannot go to the Meitei-dominated area and vice versa,” the letter states.
However, Kuki Inpi USA argues that this separation has not brought safety or stability. Instead, it has left their community without access to basic necessities.
“In the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, we have no hospitals, universities, highways, or airports. The 60,000 displaced people from the war and 464,893 Kuki-Zo community members are facing an existential crisis.”
Given these dire circumstances, Kuki Inpi USA has demanded autonomy from the Manipur state government. They call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish a separate State or Union Territory under the Indian Constitution, ensuring their community’s security and self-governance.
“The role of the government under Article 21 to protect the safety of its citizens and property has completely failed us,” the letter asserts. “At this point, we don’t know how to move forward. We have suffered greatly during these 21 months.”
Appealing to the U.S. for Support
Kuki Inpi USA has urged US President to leverage his position on the world stage to pressure the Indian government into taking decisive action.
“This is why, respected President, we, the Kuki-Zo US citizens (diaspora from India), request your attention to address our grievances to the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi,” the letter pleads. “We seek a decisive resolution to the existential crisis of the Kuki-Zo community that guarantees our safety and sanctity, through the creation of a separate State or Union Territory.”
The letter concluded with an appeal for hope and global leadership:
“Even in these darkest times, our hopes are not lost because under your leadership and power, peace can prevail, and your legacy will be remembered,” the letter stated.
