The Kuki-Zo community observed the 29th Separation Day on October 3 at the Martyr’s Cemetery Phaijang in Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi District, renewing calls for a separate administration from Manipur. The day-long event included a 12-hour total shutdown, floral tributes, and ceremonial gun salutes, underscoring the community’s longstanding political aspirations.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) urged the community’s 10 MLAs to continue their boycott of the Manipur Legislative Assembly until the Government of India addresses their demands. Leaders reaffirmed the eight-point public resolution adopted on the 22nd Remembrance Day, emphasizing that “no Kuki-Zo would remain complacent in our movement until our political aspirations are fulfilled by the Government of India.”
The resolution outlined non-negotiable positions, including restrictions on free movement for the Meitei community in Kuki-Zo areas and a commitment to achieving separate administration through democratic means. CoTU stressed that Kuki-Zo representatives must avoid Meitei-dominated political platforms or personal gains from the state government. They criticized the Governor of Manipur’s dialogue with the Arambai Tenggol, calling it a validation of radical groups and a reason to establish buffer zones between communities.
Security concerns were also highlighted, with the CoTU demanding the safe and unconditional release of village volunteers and rejecting “forced normalisations” through dialogue initiatives without first addressing safety and discriminatory policies.
