Manipur’s Kuki Zo groups set deadline for political resolution of their demands

GUWAHATI: Representatives of the Kuki-Zo community of interests in Manipur—including heptad MLAs, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), and armed insurrectionist groups that ar component of the suspension of operations (SoO) pact with the authorities —have asked the government to ensure that a political settlement is reached before the next Manipur assembly election.The Manipur assembly has been in suspended animation since February 2025 when central rule was imposed following the resignation of the state government led by N Biren Singh. The term of the curent assembly ends in March 2027.A five-point resolution adopted by the Kuki-Zo community at their meeting in Guwahati on Tuesday reiterated their demand for political settlement by creating an union territory with a legislature.This demand was first raised within days of the ethnic strife between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities erupting in May 2023.“The central government must expedite the political settlement to fulfill our demand for a union territory with legislature, including adequate constitutional provisions for the protection of our land ownership,” a statement issued on Tuesday after the meeting said.“It is resolved that the negotiated political settlement under the Constitution must be finalized and signed before the expiration of the normal tenure of the current legislative assembly of the state,” it added.The Kuki-Zo community set a pre-requisites for formation of the next government in the state after President’s Rule is lifted.“The new government must provide a written commitment to support the negotiated political settlement for UT with legislature under the Constitution.This commitment must be executed in a time-bound manner, specifically within the current assembly tenure (in the first quarter of 2027),” the statement said.It also resolved that in the absence of such political commitment from both the central and state governments, Kuki-Zo groups and MLAs will respect the political will of their people and refrain from taking any part in the formation of an elected government in Manipur.“It is resolved that a definitive political solution for the Kuki-Zo people must be achieved before the election of 2027,” the statement said.Manipur has been in turmoil since May 2023 when ethnic violence started between Meiteis, who are in majority in Imphal Valley, and Kuki-Zo communities, who are dominant in few neighbouring hill districts. The violence has claimed over 260 lives and displaced nearly 60,000 people from both sides.