Kuki-Zo bodies oppose move to review ST status of certain tribes 

Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum sees bid by Manipur’s Biren Singh government to change ST criteria to deprive Kuki-Zo tribals of their rights and land; Zomi Council Steering Committee says it will only widen existing divide

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) on Wednesday strongly condemned the move to review the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of certain Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in the State. 

The ITLF issued a statement where it referred to the Meitei community to say, “First, they tried to become like us… Now, they are trying to erase our status as tribals.”

The ZCSC sent a memorandum with its objections to the Prime Minister’s Office. 

The Manipur Tribals’ Forum Delhi, another representative body of the Kuki-Zo community, also endorsed the ITLF statement.

This comes a day after The Hindu reported that the Manipur government had been asked by the Centre to examine a representation for delisting certain Kuki and Zo communities from the State’s ST list. Following this, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told reporters in Imphal that a committee would be formed to look into this representation, which would consist of representatives of all 34 recognised STs of the State.

In its statement, the ITLF said, “The communal Biren Singh administration has now opened a new front by pushing for the removal of the Kuki-Zo community from India’s Scheduled Tribes list.”

The ITLF, a conglomerate of Kuki-Zo tribal bodies in Churachandpur district, alleged that this was a “well-coordinated” move by the Manipur government and the Meitei groups, while asserting that removing a community from the ST list is “no small task”.