Kuki Inpi Condemns FIR Against KSO-Delhi President, Calls for Buffer Zone Neutrality in Manipur

The Kuki Inpi has strongly condemned the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Paojakhup Guite, President of the Kuki Students’ Organisation-Delhi (KSO-D), calling the action "partial, discriminatory, and deeply biased" amid the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Kuki Inpi expressed “deep concern” over what it termed the continued marginalization of Kuki-Zo voices, arguing that Mr. Guite’s recent remarks have been misrepresented. Guite had called for Meitei individuals to refrain from entering established buffer zones — a plea the Kuki Inpi described as “a measured and cautionary message” intended to prevent further escalation and safeguard all communities.

“The FIR represents a distortion and weaponisation of Mr. Guite’s words through legal means,” the organization said, insisting that his statement was not an incitement to violence but a response to the volatile and unresolved ethnic tensions that have gripped the state for over a year.

The Kuki Inpi also raised concerns over the Manipur government’s alleged role in allowing or facilitating the crossing of buffer zones by Meitei civilians, warning that such actions risk provoking confrontation and undermining efforts at reconciliation.

“This appears to be a calculated move by the Government of Manipur to destabilise peace. It contradicts basic principles of conflict management and raises serious questions about the government’s impartiality,” the statement read.

Reiterating its call for justice and long-term peace, the Kuki Inpi demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against Mr. Guite and called for strict enforcement of neutrality in buffer zones. The organization also reaffirmed its demand for a Union Territory with Legislature for the Kuki-Zo people under Article 239(A) of the Indian Constitution, framing it as a step toward ensuring security, dignity, and political autonomy.