The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on Saturday launched a vehement attack on the Manipur government over the proceedings of the ongoing Assembly session, alleging that the House had “deliberately ignored” the plight of the Kuki-Zo people and demonstrated the collapse of constitutional morality and neutral governance.
The apex Kuki body said the proceedings of the eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which commenced on September 2, had reinforced its long-standing position that the “physical, administrative and political segregation” of the Kuki-Zo people from the Imphal-centric administration had become “absolute and irreversible”.
KIM alleged that instead of addressing the humanitarian crisis and pursuing genuine peace-building measures, the Assembly had focused on what it described as “majoritarian agendas”, including the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC), while allegedly overlooking human rights violations and the insecurity faced by the Kuki-Zo population.
The organisation also reiterated its allegation that three Kuki-Zo Christian church leaders were ambushed and killed near Saheibung on May 13 while returning from a peace and reconciliation gathering in Churachandpur.
KIM alleged that there had been no accountability or transparent investigation into the killings, claiming that the alleged lack of justice reflected “absolute apathy” towards the victims and peace advocates.
It further alleged that supply corridors serving Kuki-Zo inhabited areas had remained disrupted for months, resulting in restrictions on essential commodities, medicines and food supplies.
“The Assembly's refusal to acknowledge these targeted atrocities, coupled with its persistent anti-Kuki rhetoric and the active encouragement of inter-tribal friction, confirms that the government in Imphal no longer possesses the moral authority or political capacity to govern our people fairly,” KIM said.
The organisation said the proceedings had further strengthened its conviction that the Kuki-Zo people could not continue under the existing administrative framework of Manipur, citing alleged institutional discrimination, territorial insecurity and state neglect.
KIM invoked Article 21 of the Constitution, asserting that the rights to life and dignity of the Kuki-Zo people could not be adequately guaranteed under the present Imphal-centric administration.
Reiterating its demand for a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with a Legislature, the organisation described the demand as an “existential imperative” rather than merely a political preference.
KIM also criticised its own community's legislators for participating in the Assembly session, saying it had explicitly instructed all Kuki-Zo MLAs to boycott the proceedings to avoid creating a “false sense of normalcy”.
The Kuki body appealed to the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene directly in the Manipur crisis, secure the territorial boundaries of Kuki-Zo areas and expedite the political process for granting a separate administrative arrangement with a legislature.
“The Kuki-Zo people are equal citizens of the Indian Republic and deserve to be treated with dignity, honour and equal protection,” KIM said, warning that continued political inaction and what it termed “forced inclusion” under the state government would only deepen the crisis.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
