In a scathing rebuttal, the Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum has called out Bimol Akoijam for spreading a misleading narrative about the Manipur conflict. The forum argues that the violence was premeditated and orchestrated by Meitei leadership, contradicting Akoijam’s claims.
BY PC Bureau
The Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum (KZWF) has flayed the views expressed by Inner Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam, in a series of media interviews regarding the Manipur origin and complexity of the ongoing Manipur ethnic strife.
Aaccusing him of “deliberate distortion of facts” regarding the origins of the May 3, 2023, ethnic violence, the forum has said that Akoijam was engaging in “historical revisionism” to protect Meitei interests and deflect attention from the targeted ethnic attacks on the Kuki-Zo community.
“Bimol Akoijam has positioned himself as a ‘neutral’ commentator, but his statements reveal a clear bias,” the KZWF said. “He is knowingly parroting the Meitei narrative to absolve his community of responsibility for the horrors inflicted on our people.”
The forum directly refuted Akoijam’s assertion that the conflict began with an unprovoked armed assault by Kuki-Zo groups. Instead, it insisted that Meitei mobs and radicalized youth groups launched the first attacks, supported by elements within the state government and security forces.
This is how the #Chin Kuki twisted the narrative.
📍Engineer violence
📍Twist narrative and play victim card
📍Manipulate facts
📍Advance sinister plans
📍Repeat the cycle until you break Manipur and India.Full interview of @Bimol_Akoijam here https://t.co/79AnH2h9tV pic.twitter.com/0S4egA6po2
— Meitei Heritage Society (@meiteiheritage) February 16, 2025
Kuki-Zo Forum Claims First Shot Came from Meitei Youth
One of the key points of contention is who fired the first shot on May 3, 2023. Akoijam, in previous statements, suggested that “Kuki-Zo militants under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement opened fire first, sparking the violence.”
However, KZWF countered this claim, citing video evidence and eyewitness testimonies.
“The first shot was fired by a Meitei youth, not the Kukis,” the forum stated. “There is clear video footage showing a young Meitei man firing a pistol at civilians, triggering the violence. Why does Bimol Akoijam conveniently ignore this fact?”
Additionally, the forum pointed out that several hours before the first gunfire, Meitei miscreants had already begun targeting Kuki-Zo villages.
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“At around 2:30 PM on May 3, Meitei rioters set fire to the Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate at Leisang village,” KZWF said. “This was a direct attack on Kuki identity and a deliberate provocation meant to escalate tensions.”
The forum added that the arson was not an isolated incident but part of a coordinated plan to justify a large-scale attack on Kuki settlements.
“The burning of the Centenary Gate provided a pretext for what followed—a full-scale assault on Kuki villages that had been planned well in advance.”
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Meitei Radical Groups and State Forces Accused of Orchestrating Attacks
KZWF went further to allege that the violence was not spontaneous but “meticulously orchestrated” by Meitei extremist groups, with the tacit support of state authorities under the then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
The forum named radical organizations Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun as the main instigators of the attacks, accusing them of operating with impunity.
“These groups, in coordination with the state police commandos, played a direct role in the violence,” the statement read. “They were seen on the ground, armed and mobilized, alongside BJP Youth Morcha leader Barish Sharma.”
According to KZWF, Meitei mobs were armed with both traditional weapons and sophisticated firearms, suggesting that the violence was premeditated rather than reactive.
“When Kuki villagers tried to put out the fire at Leisang, they were ambushed by heavily armed Meitei assailants,” KZWF claimed. “By then, the plan was already in motion—attacks on Torbung, Kangvai, and other Kuki villages began simultaneously.”
Forum Rejects Claim That SoO Cadres Opened Fire First
Akoijam’s claim that SoO (Suspension of Operations) cadres initiated the violence was also forcefully denied by KZWF.
“If SoO cadres had actually fired first, we would have seen significantly higher casualties among the Meitei side,” the forum said. “Yet, on May 3, the overwhelming majority of the injured were Kukis, and the first confirmed fatality was also from the Kuki community.”
KZWF argued that the first casualties among the Meitei community only occurred later in the conflict, when Kuki villages fought back against the large-scale Meitei offensive.
“The violence that erupted was not a ‘clash’ between two armed groups,” the statement read. “It was an orchestrated attack aimed at driving Kukis out of the Imphal Valley.”
Ethnic Persecution Preceded May 3 Violence
KZWF also emphasized that the roots of the conflict went beyond May 3, 2023. The forum accused the Biren Singh-led BJP government of launching a systematic campaign of discrimination against the Kuki-Zo people long before the violence erupted.
“For months, Meitei organizations and state authorities were spreading hate against our people,” KZWF stated. “Biren Singh’s government carried out mass evictions, labeled Kuki-Zo people as ‘illegal immigrants,’ and incited hostility through state-backed propaganda.”
According to the forum, the May 3 violence was the culmination of a long-standing effort to erase the Kuki-Zo identity from Manipur.
“Bimol Akoijam wants to rewrite history, but we will not allow him to erase the suffering of our people,” KZWF declared.
Demand for Truth and Accountability
The Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum concluded by demanding an end to historical distortions and accountability for those responsible for the ethnic violence.
“We will not remain silent while individuals like Bimol Akoijam twist the facts to suit their political agenda,” KZWF stated. “The world needs to recognize the truth—that our people were the victims of an ethnic cleansing campaign.”
The forum also called upon national and international human rights organizations to conduct an independent investigation into the state’s complicity in the attacks.
“No amount of propaganda can erase the truth,” the statement concluded. “Justice must prevail.”
