The Kuki Inpi Ukhrul District issued a sharp statement questioning the BJP MLA’s silence during the 2023 violence and denouncing the releif camp visit as disrespectful, politically motivated, and harmful to ongoing reconciliation efforts.
BY PC Bureau
December 8, 2025 – BJP MLA Y. Khemchand Singh’s surprise visit to a Kuki relief camp on Monday sparked an uproar, with Kuki groups condemning it as insensitive, politically opportunistic, and dismissive of the trauma survivors of the two-year-old violence continue to endure.
The former Manipur Speaker—who represents the Meitei-majority Singjamei constituency—went to the Litan Sareikhong relief camp in Ukhrul district, becoming what aides described as the first Meitei BJP legislator to step into a Kuki relief facility since communal violence erupted in May 2023. But displaced Kuki families, still grappling with loss and uncertainty, denounced the unannounced visit—carried out under heavy security and marked by fleeting interactions—as a “disrespectful charade.”
Singh also stopped by the Sareikhong Baptist Church and Chassad Kuki village in Kamjong district. His outreach unfolded against the backdrop of Manipur’s deepening communal divide: clashes between valley-based Meiteis and hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo tribes have killed over 250 people, displaced more than 60,000 (with over 100,000 in camps across the state), and led to President’s Rule in February 2025 after the collapse of the BJP-led government. Security forces continue to enforce tight restrictions on movement, especially for Meiteis entering sensitive hill districts like Ukhrul.
Outreach or Political Optics?
Singh’s team framed the visit—held ahead of Christmas—as a personal initiative to encourage dialogue. Accompanied by BJP state vice-president Hopingson Shimray and former Ukhrul ADC chairman Mark Luithing, the MLA interacted with a handful of camp residents.
“Restoring peace should be the primary objective of all communities,” Singh told those present, urging collective prayers for reconciliation. “We, the elders, may have differences, but we must think about our children who are the future of the state.”
Shimray called it a “remarkable gesture” in a climate of mutual fear, while Luithing described Singh as “the first leader to start people-to-people contact after the turmoil.”
But the relief camp’s leadership painted a sharply contrasting picture.
In a formal clarification, the Litan Sareikhong Relief Centre—which shelters over 200 displaced Kuki families—said the MLA arrived “shortly after 9:30 a.m., when most inmates had left for work,” leaving behind only women, children, and the elderly. Singh’s group “made an uninvited stop,” took photographs with unsuspecting minors, and left within minutes, the statement said.
Calling the episode a “calculated and opportunistic action aimed at gaining visibility,” convener Lunghojang Baite stressed that the Kuki Inpi Ukhrul, the KSO-Ukhrul, and the Village Authority were not informed, not consulted, and did not endorse the visit.
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Meitei MLA Yumnam Khemchand becomes the first Meitei leader since May 2023 to visit Kuki villages in the hills.
He travelled to Litan & Chassad, met Kuki villagers and relief camp inmates, calling for unity, peace & renewed people-to-people contactThis is good initiative, peace… pic.twitter.com/Jr9FXFSQaJ
— Khonjel (@Khonjel_Manipur) December 8, 2025
Kuki Inpi’s Sharp Rebuke: “Where Were You During the Violence?”
The backlash intensified with a blistering statement from the Kuki Inpi Ukhrul District (KIU), which issued an “unequivocal and vehement condemnation” of what it called a profoundly disrespectful breach of protocol.
Escorted by “an excessive number of security personnel,” Singh’s entry aggravated the trauma of already-vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the KIU said.
“Such a visit is not merely unacceptable but profoundly disrespectful to a community still awaiting justice,” the body stated, accusing the MLA of “political posturing” in the absence of any concrete support during the height of the violence.
In a pointed question, the KIU asked Singh:
“Where were you during the outbreak of violence—when the Kukis were persecuted, displaced, and subjected to unimaginable cruelty?”
The organisation recalled the “critical days” of 2023, when entire villages were razed and families fled for safety, noting that Singh’s office “maintained unmistakable silence.”
The KIU warned that the MLA’s appearance risked creating a “misleading impression” of normalcy, as if Meitei leaders could now freely access Kuki camps. The group clarified that limited movement permits for Meitei civilians in Ukhrul—coordinated with Tangkhul Naga stakeholders—stem solely from a desire to maintain peace, not from an endorsement of political visits.
Media Under Fire
The KIU also criticised certain valley-based media houses for projecting the visit as proof of “peace restored,” claiming that interviews were staged to fabricate interactions between the MLA and IDP residents. The relief centre echoed this, calling the coverage “highly unethical” and urging journalists to uphold professional integrity.
Singh’s visit—his first to Kuki areas since the conflict—comes as the BJP faces accusations of Meitei bias under former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, whose exit preceded President’s Rule.
While Singh’s aides maintain he acted “in his individual capacity,” Kuki organisations have vowed stricter scrutiny of future visits. Relief camp leaders insist no symbolic photo-ops can substitute genuine reforms or substantive aid.
As Christmas approaches, what Singh’s supporters view as a tentative confidence-building step has, for many Kukis, reopened wounds—not healed them. Whether this moment sparks dialogue or deepens divides will shape the next chapter of Manipur’s unfolding crisis.
