Kuki Village Volunteers Eastern Zone Warn Against CM’s Tengnoupal Visit, Threaten Resistance

The Village Volunteers of the Eastern Zone (VVEZ) issued a sharp and uncompromising warning over the proposed visit of the Manipur Chief Minister to Tengnoupal district, declaring that any attempt to proceed would face “resolute resistance” amid rising tensions in the state’s conflict-hit hill regions.

In a strongly worded press statement, the group expressed “deep disappointment” over reports of the Chief Minister’s planned visit, asserting that ground realities and public sentiment in Kuki-dominated areas remain volatile and opposed to such a move.

Reiterating its hardline position, the VVEZ stated that no Meitei individual would be allowed to cross the buffer zone separating “Kangleipak (Meitei land)” and Tengnoupal district, which it described as “Kuki land,” until the Centre officially recognises the separation and addresses the demand for a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature.

The statement also issued a direct warning to the state Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and his associates, underlining that “Tengnoupal is not Kangpokpi,” and cautioning that any attempt at “intimidation or coercion” would be firmly resisted by the Kuki people.

“Pressure tactics used in Kangpokpi will not prevail here,” the statement said, in an apparent reference to previous flashpoints in the strife-torn district.

The volunteers further warned that proceeding with the visit despite repeated objections could trigger “serious and unavoidable consequences,” placing full responsibility for any fallout on those who choose to ignore the concerns raised by the group.

The development underscores the continuing fragility of the situation in Manipur’s hill districts, where ethnic tensions between Kuki and Meitei communities have remained high despite intermittent efforts at de-escalation.