KIM Demands Institutional Commitment, Warns Peace Will Never Return to Manipur Without Fair, Impartial and Equal Justice

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, has warned that Manipur will never return to normalcy unless the Central and state governments ensure fair, impartial and equal justice for all victims of the ethnic conflict, alleging a glaring disparity in the treatment of victims from different communities.

The Kuki apex body expressed grave concern over what it termed selective urgency in the administration of justice, questioning why the deaths of 32 Kuki-Zo civilians, the burning of 31 Kuki villages and at least 271 houses, and the forced displacement of more than 2,500 people from their ancestral homes had not received comparable institutional attention and meaningful action.

The organisation alleged that cases involving Meitei and Naga victims had prompted swift action and a responsible response from the state, while atrocities against Kuki-Zo communities continued to face what it described as institutional apathy and a lack of accountability.

"Equal protection under the law is a constitutional guarantee, not a selective privilege," KIM Information and Publicity Secretary, Janghaolun Haokip said, asserting that justice must not be divided along ethnic lines and that the lives and dignity of all citizens must be treated equally.

Highlighting the scale of destruction and displacement, Haokip said 31 Kuki villages had been burnt and hundreds of families uprooted from their ancestral lands, alleging that these incidents had not resulted in adequate institutional intervention or accountability.

He demanded equal urgency, institutional commitment and determination from the authorities to deliver justice for the killings of Kuki-Zo civilians, attacks on and burning of villages, destruction of homes and forced displacement of residents.

Calling on the Central and state governments to end what he described as institutional bias and partiality against the Kuki-Zo people, the organisation said the alleged aggression and atrocities against the community must stop immediately.

Haokip also urged the government to protect the lives and ancestral lands of Kuki-Zo people and recognise their rights and privileges as equal citizens of the country, while cautioning that continued neglect could compel the community to reconsider its trust in and engagement with the two governments.

"Until and unless the Central and State Governments implement fair and impartial justice for all victims, irrespective of community, Manipur will never return to normalcy," he said.