Kuki-Zo, Meitei groups protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to mark 2 years of Manipur violence

New Delhi: Members of the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities held separate demonstrations at the Jantar Mantar here on Saturday to mark the completion of two years since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

Dressed in black, the Kuki-Zo protesters mourned the loss of those killed in the violence in the northeastern state and reiterated their demand for a separate Union Territory for their community.

The protest was organised by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) and the Kuki-Zo Women's Forum, Delhi (KZWFD).

The protesters raised their demands, including the creation of a separate administrative setup for the Kuki-Zo people due to their concerns about safety, displacement and lack of justice.

"We have been asking the government to give us a solution, let us live a normal life like people in any other state," said Gladdy Vaipay Honjan, a Kuki-Zo activist based in Delhi.

She said the community continues to suffer even after two years, with no justice for the violence, displacements and destruction.

The protesters observed a moment of silence for those killed and displaced, and held placards that read, "Freedom's call: Separate administration" and "No justice, no peace".

Meanwhile, the Meitei protesters, dressed in white, gathered under the banner of the Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee.

They demanded justice, rehabilitation and a safe return of all internally-displaced persons to their original homes.

Their demands included ending cross-border terrorism, withdrawal of support to armed groups under the Suspension of Operations agreement and the removal of buffer zones dividing communities.

R K Khaidasana, a Meitei protester from Churachandpur in Manipur, shared his experience of the crisis.

"Since May 3, 2023, I have been displaced from my home and I want to go back and resettle. I urge the government to give us justice," he said.

"Around 4:30 pm (On May 3, 2023), violence broke out in our area, houses were set on fire and people fled for safety," he added.

Both groups emphasised the need for a long-term solution to the ongoing ethnic tensions in the northeastern state.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the violence between the Imphal valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur since May 2023.