Directly administer our people, Manipur tribal group tells Centre

Tribal forum in Manipur appeals to the Centre to directly administer Kuki-Zo people caught in ethnic conflict.

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.