Where was MLA Khemchand during initial stage of violence? Kuki-Zo bodies condemn Meitei MLA's publicity stunt

The Kuki-Zo Council has strongly condemned the irresponsible publicity stunt carried out by Meitei MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh at the Kuki-Zo IDP relief camp in Litan Sareikhong, Ukhrul yesterday.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday (December 9, 2025), KZC leader Ginza Vualjong stated that the Meitei MLA's visit was made without any prior intimation to Kuki-Zo leaders, camp authorities, or the district administration.

"Reports confirm that he was visiting BJP workers elsewhere and made an impromptu stop at the camp on his way back. He later circulated photos and videos online, projecting himself as a peace-maker in conflict-torn Manipur," he said.

The Kuki-Zo Council raises fundamental questions: Where was Khemchand during May 3-7, 2023 when violence broke out and Kuki-Zo families in and around Imphal were targeted and displaced? What prevented him from speaking then?

"His silence during the tragedy and sudden concern now do not align. The wounds are deep, trust has been shattered, and no symbolic drop-in can undo the trauma faced by our people," stated KZC.

Furthermore, Ginza Vualjong said, the location he chose to visit is hardly an accomplishment. Meiteis have always travelled freely to Ukhrul and other Kaccha Naga-dominated districts without restriction. A casual stop during his leisure travel brings no safety, justice, or accountability to the displaced families who continue to suffer.

The KZC abhorred such insincere act and cautioned all individuals against visiting Kuki-Zo areas or relief centres without prior communication to community leaders.

"With the conflict still ongoing, such unannounced visits can spark misunderstanding or lead to unwanted confrontations."

The Kuki-Zo apex body also rejected Khemchand's attempt to use the suffering of IDPs to build his personal image as a hero or peace-maker. Such gestures are neither welcome nor meaningful, it stated; adding that peace must be discussed at the appropriate table, not manufactured through photo opportunities or viral videos.

The Kuki Inpi Ukhrul District (KIU) also expressed its unequivocal and vehement condemnation of the uninvited and unauthorized visit undertaken by MLA Y. Khemchand to the Litan Sareikhong Relief Camps.

"His sudden appearance, accompanied by an excessive number of security personnel-constitutes a serious breach of protocol, propriety, and humanitarian sensitivity. This action has caused deep distress among the Kuki Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who continue to live under trauma and uncertainty," Department of Media, Kuki Impi Ukhrul stated in a Press Release issued on Monday.

The KIU wished to state clearly and without ambiguity that such a visit was not merely unacceptable but profoundly disrespectful to a community still awaiting justice. "True goodwill cannot be proclaimed through intrusion or political posturing, especially when justice is neither delivered nor sincerely pursued," it said adding that until that day arrives, any outreach attempt remains fundamentally hollow.

To MLA Khemchand, the KIU poses a question that the Kuki people have carried in their hearts since the outbreak of violence: "Where were you when the Kukis were persecuted, displaced, and subjected to crimes of unimaginable cruelty?"

"During those critical days- when lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and entire villages were erased, the silence from your office was unmistakable. At no point did you stand up for justice or for the innocent. That silence cannot be erased by a sudden, unannounced visit," it added.

The Kuki Inpi Ukhrul also clarified that the limited movement of Meitei individuals through Ukhrul was permitted out of respect for our Tangkhul brethren, whose consistent commitment to maintaining peace has long been admired. Such gesture should not be misinterpreted as open permission for political figures to walk into Kuki areas without protocol.


The KIU stated that it remained steadfast in its duty to safeguard the rights, safety, and dignity of the Kuki people and would actively ensure that all engagements adhere strictly to established procedures.

Further, KIU said, it was unfortunate that certain valley-based media houses merged two unrelated events - the uninvited visit of MLA Khemchand and an independent journalist's interview with an IDP inmate to falsely portray an interaction between the MLA and the inmates.

Terming such misrepresentation as 'unethical", the Kuki Inpi Ukhrul has urged those media outlets to stop those practices and uphold journalistic integrity.