Kuki-Zo students opposes new Manipur govt, demands separate administration
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New Delhi: The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Delhi and NCR, has expressed “firm opposition” to the formation of a new government in Manipur, saying it lacks “moral or political legitimacy” among the Kuki-Zo people, who continue to face displacement, insecurity, and trauma.
Members of the students’ body held a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding justice, rehabilitation, and accountability for victims of ethnic violence in the state. In a statement, the KSO said the imposition of administrative normalcy without justice, accountability, and the consent of affected communities is unacceptable, and called for a separate administration for the hill districts.
“The scale and sustained character of violence inflicted since May 2023 have created an irreversible political rupture,” the KSO said, adding that the Kuki-Zo people no longer consider themselves part of the political and administrative framework of the violence-torn state.
The students’ body opposed the recent installation of a “so-called popular government” in Manipur and urged the Centre to immediately accelerate political dialogue toward a separate administration under a Union Territory with Legislature (Article 239A, Pondicherry model), ensuring autonomy and constitutional safeguards.
The KSO also demanded the arrest and investigation of individuals and groups responsible for the violence, including leaders of Arambai Tenggol, and legal action to prevent further extremist activity. It called for a probe into alleged leaked audio recordings involving former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and sought prosecution for all crimes committed against Kuki-Zo victims.
The students’ organisation highlighted the need for critical infrastructure in Kuki-Zo areas, including an airport, to address severe transportation challenges.
BJP leader Y. Khemchand Singh was sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur on Wednesday, ending nearly a year of President’s Rule. BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen, from the Kuki community, and Naga People’s Front legislator L. Dikho were sworn in as deputy chief ministers.
President’s Rule had been imposed on February 9 last year after the BJP-led government headed by N. Biren Singh was dissolved following months of ethnic violence. The state’s 60-member Assembly, with tenure till 2027, was put under suspended animation.
Manipur has been gripped by ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts protesting the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. At least 260 people, including members of both communities and security personnel, have been killed since then, while thousands have been displaced.
With PTI inputs
