The Kuki-Zo Council has called for the creation of a Union Territory under Article 239(A) of the Constitution for their community in the hill areas of Manipur, a demand echoed by other Kuki-Zo organizations.
By Navin Upadhyay
The Centre on Friday initiated a dialogue process to restore peace in Manipur, engaging with the Kuki-Zo Council, the apex body representing 14 civil society groups of the Kuki-Zo community. During the talks, the council reiterated its demand for a separate administrative structure for the community, emphasizing that such a step is crucial to ensuring lasting peace amidst ongoing tensions and hostility with the majority Meitei community.
A four-member delegation of the Kuki-Zo Council, led by its chairman Henlianthang Thanglet, presented the demand to a two-member team of the Centre’s representatives, headed by interlocutor A.K. Mishra.
“We placed our demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people of Manipur and the initiation of a political dialogue,” said Kuki-Zo Council spokesperson Ginza Vualzong in a phone conversation with PTI.
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Two key umbrella groups, the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF), representing over 25 armed factions of the Kuki-Zo communities, have echoed similar demands for a political solution.
The Kuki-Zo community seeks expedited talks with the Centre regarding their demand for Union Territory status with a legislature under Article 239(A) of the Constitution for the hill areas inhabited by their people. They also insist on strict adherence to buffer zones to prevent future clashes with the Meitei community.
This dialogue follows a recent meeting between the Kuki-Zo Council and Manipur’s newly-appointed Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Churachandpur, where they appealed for peace and resolution to the challenges faced by their community.
The Centre had earlier attempted to mediate peace by calling Kuki and Meitei MLAs to a joint meeting in October 2024. However, the Kuki-Zo legislators declined to meet with their Meitei counterparts, resulting in separate meetings with central representatives.
Meanwhile, Meitei organizations remain firmly opposed to the Kuki-Zo community’s demand for separate administration and have called for the abrogation of Suspension of Operation agreements with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups.
Since May 2023, ethnic violence between the Meitei community in the Imphal valley and Kuki-Zo tribals in the surrounding hill areas has claimed more than 260 lives and displaced thousands. The conflict was triggered by a “Tribal Solidarity March” protesting the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Despite repeated efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government, peace remains elusive in Manipur, with deep divisions continuing to fuel unrest in the stat
