GUWAHATI
A tribal forum in Manipur has asked the Centre to directly administer the Kuki-Zo people caught in an ethnic conflict with the non-tribal Meitei community since May 3, 2023.
The appeal to New Delhi followed almost a day of intermittent gunfight between two unidentified groups, presumably belonging to the warring communities, in the Kangpokpi district. The gunfight near the Satang Kuki village ended around 4 p.m.
Following a public consultation, the ITLF declared on Saturday that the Kuki-Zo people should approach the Mizoram government for “our future political way forward”. The Mizoram government has been sympathetic to the Kuki-Zo people primarily because of ethnic affiliations.
“We cannot be under the government who killed and destroyed our churches and properties, who separated us physically and demographically and also who took an oath under militia group Arambai Tenggol. The Centre should directly administer us from Delhi,” the ITLF’s declaration read.
The forum opposed the Centre’s move to scrap the free movement regime (FMR) agreement and fence the India-Myanmar border. The agreement allows border residents to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa.
The Manipur government wants the FMR junked while Mizoram and Nagaland are against it.
The ITLF also declared “to continue any form of agitations and actions as the need arises, support and cooperate with any plans, projects and policies made by ITLF to strengthen our movement and that SoO groups should not sign for the integrity of Manipur and stand firm with our demand for UT with the legislature”. The Centre had signed Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with at least 25 armed groups claiming to fight for the rights of the Kuki-Zo people.
“For our future political movement, meeting with SoO groups and our MLAs should be held with the initiative of Zo United as soon as possible. MHA should be questioned on the status of our political demand by joint signatures of SoO, MLAs and CSOs (civil society organisations),” the ITLF declaration read.
The forum concluded by asserting that the Kuki-Zo MLAs “cannot be part of the Meitei government” and that they should counter the N. Biren Singh government for the sake of the community and resign if the need arises. Manipur has 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, seven of them belonging to the BJP.
