Kuki-Zo MLAs, civil society groups urge Centre to hold talks with Kuki militant outfits

IANS May 17, 2025 229 views

In a crucial meeting held in Guwahati, Kuki-Zo community leaders and MLAs urged the Central government to restart talks with Kuki militant groups, pushing for the longstanding demand of separate administration for tribal-inhabited areas. The plea comes after the 2008 Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, which initially brought peace but has since stalled. With President's Rule restoring relative calm in Manipur, the leaders see an opportunity to achieve progress without further delay. There's a renewed sense of urgency to address the core issues, ensuring sustainable peace in the region.

"The Kuki-Zo communities' demand for a separate administration is still our core issue." - Tribal Leader
Guwahati/Imphal, May 17: In a significant development, some MLAs and leaders of the Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur held a crucial meeting in Guwahati on Friday and demanded the Central government to resume talks with the Kuki militant outfits with whom the government earlier signed Suspension of Operation (SoO) accord, sources said.

Key Points

1

Kuki-Zo MLAs push for renewed talks with militants

2

They demand separate administration for tribal areas

3

SoO accord signed in 2008 with Central government

4

President's Rule brings normalcy to violence-strife Manipur

A statement issued after the Guwahati meeting said: "The joint meeting of the MLAs, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and SoO groups today (Friday) at Guwahati resolved that until the resumption of substantive political dialogue by the Indian government with SoO groups, the CSOs and elected representatives shall no longer engage with the Indian government or its representatives."

United Peoples' Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO), which are conglomerates of 23 underground outfits, signed a SoO with the Central government on August 22, 2008, and then there are 2,266 Kuki cadres who have been staying in different designated camps in Manipur.

Congress was in power in Manipur when the SoO was signed.

A tribal leader said that in the Guwahati meeting the prominent MLAs and community leaders analysed the situation in Manipur.

"The Kuki-Zo communities' demand for a separate administrations or formation of Union Territories comprising tribal-inhabited areas is still our core issue," a tribal leader told IANS, requesting annonymity.

The tribal leader, however, refused to disclose the other decisions of the meeting.

After the imposition of President's Rule in violence-strife Manipur, situations both in Meitei-dominated valley region and tribal-inhabited hilly districts are returning to normalcy.

No major ethnic incident was reported from anywhere in the state during the past three months of President's Rule, which was imposed by the Centre on February 13, four days after N. Biren Singh's resignation from the Chief Minister's post.

The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which after the promulgation of President's Rule has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027.

Till March 6, around 1,000 looted and illegally held weapons, including many sophisticated arms, and a huge cache of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces since Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla made the appeal for the first time on February 20.

The first initiative to recover the looted and illegally held arms began on May 31, 2023, when former Chief Minister Biren Singh made an appeal to all concerned to surrender the firearms looted from security forces and police armouries.

Officials said that before Biren Singh's resignation as Chief Minister on February 9, a total of 3,422 firearms had been voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and police stations in different districts.

Various official reports, political parties claimed that during the ethnic riots, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, more than 6,020 varied types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of different types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers and militants.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Tribals – Nagas, Kuki-Zo-Hmar -- constitute more than 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
The government should handle this situation carefully. Dialogue is important but we cannot compromise on India's territorial integrity. Manipur is an integral part of India and any talks must respect this basic principle. Hope peace returns soon to the state 🙏
P
Priya M.
So many lives lost and families displaced...heartbreaking 😔 The central government must take concrete steps for reconciliation. But creating separate administrations isn't the solution - it will only divide people further. Focus should be on development and justice for all communities.
A
Arjun S.
Northeast issues are complex but need urgent attention. The SoO agreement was working till now, why break it? Government should resume talks while ensuring no armed groups get undue advantages. Also, recovering all looted weapons must be top priority - how can peace exist when thousands of arms are still out there?
M
Meena R.
As someone from Manipur, I appreciate President's Rule bringing some calm. But lasting peace needs political solutions. Both Meiteis and Kukis are our brothers - this violence benefits nobody except those who want to divide us. Hope our leaders show wisdom 🤞
S
Sanjay T.
The demand for separate administration is concerning. First they want UT status, next it will be separate statehood. Where does this end? India cannot keep dividing states based on ethnic lines. Development should be equal for all regions without compromising unity.
N
Neha G.
While dialogue is necessary, the government must be cautious. Some militant groups may use these talks to gain legitimacy while continuing underground activities. Strict monitoring is needed. Also, why are MLAs refusing to engage with government? They were elected to represent all people, not just one community.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Your email won't be published


Disclaimer: Comments here reflect the author's views alone. Insulting or using offensive language against individuals, communities, religion, or the nation is illegal.

Tags:
Kuki-Zo Manipur Conflict SoO Accord India Politics Kuki National Organisation