Separation Day Observed Across Kuki-Zo-Dominated Areas, Renewing the Fight for a Separate Administration

In a solemn and painful reminder of the deep scars left by two years of ethnic conflict, the Kuki-Zo people, in their thousands from far and wide across Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi District, under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), observed Separation Day in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District today.

With heavy hearts and unwavering resolve, Kuki-Zo communities converged at key locations across the district — Kangpokpi Town, Saikul Hill Town, and Leimakhong — with the central district-level observance held at Brig. M. Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi District Headquarters.

The day marked what the community describes as a “day of severance” from the majoritarian Meitei community in Manipur, after the violent outbreak in 2023, which they regard as a genocide — a targeted pogrom that shattered homes, displaced thousands, and tore apart the fragile fabric of communal coexistence in the state.

Calling it a day to "remember pain, assert dignity, and affirm survival," the Committee on Tribal Unity called for a total shutdown across the district, bringing life to a standstill. Government offices, banks, private institutions, schools, and all business establishments remained firmly shut. Traditional livelihood activities such as jhumming (shifting cultivation) and all forms of travel also came to a halt. No shops opened, no fields were tilled, and no other functions were organized on the day as the community collectively entered a day of mourning and remembrance.

However, vehicular movement were exempted from the purview of the total shutdown.

At Brig. M. Thomas Ground, the atmosphere was thick with grief and resolve. village chiefs, leaders of civil society organizations, intellectuals, prominent social activists, and the general public joined in the observation, demonstrating unity, resilience, and remembrance for the lives lost and the homeland devastated.

Prominent voices echoed across the gathering: Ajang Khongsai, President of Kuki Inpi Manipur; Haokholen Kipgen, President of the Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association; Dr. Lamtinthang Haokip, social activist; Thangminlen Kipgen, President of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills; and Rev. Dr. GS Gangte, representative of the Kuki-Zo Council.

A moving condolence ceremony was led by Dr. Rev. Satkhokai Chongloi of the Kuki-Zo Christian Relief Committee (KZCRC), while Rev. Lunkhosat Kipgen, General Secretary of EBCCF, offered heartfelt prayers and blessings for the families of the martyrs.

Amang Chongloi, Vice Chairman of CoTU, spoke with deep emotion and clarity. “Two years on, while much of the world has moved on, we cannot. The wounds of May 3, 2023, remain raw,” he declared.

He underscored that Separation Day marks a "day of severance" from the Meitei community in Manipur, and it stands as a solemn and powerful reminder of a tragic rupture—an irreversible breaking point in the relationship between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities.

"It is a day to affirm our identity, mourn our dead, honor our survivors, and proclaim to the world that coexistence with those who inflicted such suffering upon us is no longer possible. Any hope of reconciliation with the Meitei community has been extinguished by the scale of brutality we endured,” he stated.

He highlighted that May 3, 2023 etched in the collective memory of the Kuki-Zo community as a day of targeted pogrom that attempted to annihilate us and tore apart the fragile fabric of communal coexistence in the state.

Today, we commemorate the violent acts of burning our villages, the murder of our people, and the brutal assault on our dignity through acts of sexual violence against our women — deliberate attempts to erase our existence from the land we called home, he added.

He emphasized that Separation Day represents not only physical displacement but also the betrayal of coexistence — a collapse of trust, a wound too deep for silence.

Turning his words toward New Delhi, Chongloi made an impassioned plea: “We cry for justice. We plead for recognition. We demand a future — a Union Territory with legislature — where the Kuki-Zo people can live in safety, dignity, and self-determination. Far from those who reduced our lives to smoke and ashes.”

In every silent street, every shuttered shop, and every bowed head, the message was unmistakable: the Kuki-Zo will not forget, and they will not be silenced.

In Churachandpur district, the day was observed at the 'Wall of Remembrance' under the aegis of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).

During the observance, the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), as part of its “Jangnadopna Project,” extended financial assistance of ₹1 lakh, along with a traditional shawl and a memento, to 22 victim families.

Paolienlal Haokip, MLA of Saikot Assembly Constituency, and Henlianthang Thanglet, Chairman of the Kuki-Zo Council, addressed the gathering at the Wall of Remembrance.

The day was also observed at Martyrs’ Cemetery in Sehken under the aegis of the Zomi Council.

Vungzagin Valte, MLA of Thanlon Assembly Constituency, and L.M. Khaute, MLA of Churachandpur Assembly Constituency, delivered speeches during the observance.

Separation Day was also observed at Sangaikot Community Hall, under the Sangaikot Sub-Division, in the presence of MLA Chinlunthang.

The day was also observed in the border town of Moreh, under the aegis of the Hill Tribal Council, Moreh. Many gathered to pay their respects and honor the victims at this solemn event, renewing their spirit in the ongoing fight for a separate administration.