The proposed “march to the hill districts” by an Imphal Valley-based civil society organisation on March 8 has been opposed by Kuki-Zo groups.
Manipur, scarred by a conflict between the non-tribal Meiteis and the tribal Kuki-Zos since May 2023, has been under President’s Rule since February 13.
Also read |Manipur — the difficult path to ushering in peace and winning trust
On March 4, the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) in Manipur’s capital Imphal announced a peace expedition to the hills on March 8. The initiative followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive three days ago to allow unrestricted movement on the roads linking Imphal to the rest of the country from March 8.
‘Peace to buffer zones’
FOCS president Th. Manihar said the objective of the expedition was to deliver messages of peace to the “buffer zones” (on the periphery of the Imphal Valley) and the hill villages that have remained largely inaccessible since the ethnic violence broke out 22 months ago. The FOCS comprises 20 groups.
“After discussing Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive, we decided to launch this expedition to visit the hills where the Meitei people have not been able to go since May 2023,” he said.
Manipur is inhabited by three major communities. The Meiteis dominate the Imphal Valley almost at the centre of the State, while the Kuki-Zos and Nagas share the hills. The Kuki-Zos are concentrated largely in the lower hills surrounding the valley.
‘Cannot co-exist’
Kuki-Zo organisations said the march to the hills was a bad idea. “There will be no free movement in Kuki-Zo areas before the establishment of a separate administration/Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo people,” the office of the Village Volunteer, Eastern Zone said in a statement.
Kuki-Zos say they can no longer co-exist with the Meiteis and see a separate administration as the only solution to the conflict. The Meiteis are against the bifurcation of Manipur.
“Those who have inflicted suffering on the Kuki-Zo people, those who have taken innocent lives, and those who continue to deny our fundamental rights will not be allowed free passage into our lands,” the Village Volunteer statement said.
Another organisation named Young Kuki said the proposed march was nothing but a “hostile provocation against the Kuki-Zo people” and warned about the consequences of such an expedition.
‘Design to split Manipur’
Reacting to the statements from “Chin-Kuki groups”, the Meitei Heritage Society said their rejection of peace initiatives by Mr. Shah and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was disturbing, and in sharp contrast to the positive response by the Meitei community.
“These responses put beyond any doubt what was always suspected, that the Manipur violence was engineered and is a means to an end of a decades-old larger design, which is to split Manipur. The demand for a separate administration is not a result of the ongoing violence,” a spokesperson of the society said.
Meanwhile, the Thadou Community International (TCI) extended its support for the Centre’s initiatives to restore peace and stability in Manipur.
The TCI also reaffirmed the distinct ethnic identity of the Thadou people, emphasising that they are a separate entity and independent from the Kuki community. The organisation expressed concerns over the misrepresentation of the Thadou identity and said that recognising Manipur’s diverse ethnic groups is a crucial step toward long-term peace and reconciliation.
