In a first, Manipur Kuki forum to meet MHA officials on Jan 17 in Delhi

Guwahati: In what may break the stalemate in talks to resolve the Meitei-Kuki conflict in Manipur, a delegation of Kuki-Zo Council will meet officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on January 17.

Confirming this, Ginza Vualzong, a spokesperson of the council, a forum of major organisations representing the Kuki-Zo communities, told DH on Sunday that an eight-member team would meet the MHA officials and put forth their demand for a "separate administration" in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature in order to restore peace in Manipur.

"This is going to be the first meeting between the MHA officials and the Kuki-Zo organisations. Although the time and venue has not yet been finalised, all I can confirm is that our team will be endorsing the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front's (UPF) demand, which is separation from the Manipur government run by the Meiteis," he said. 

The KNO and the UPF, the two umbrella organisations of at least 25 armed groups representing Kuki Zo organisations, have been in a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government since 2008. Leaders of the groups and their cadres are lodged in several 'designated camps' in Manipur's Kuki-dominated districts.   

"We will also press the government to resume the talks with the KNO and UPF as early as possible," said Vualzong. A prominent leader of Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, one of the associates of the Kuki Zo Council (KZC), Vualzong will also be part of the delegation. The Kuki Zo Council was formed in October last year as the highest decision-making body with representatives from all major organiations representing the communities. 

The development comes days after the council met the newly appointed Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, in Churachandpur, one of the Kuki-dominated districts, in which it stressed on finding a solution to its demand first for restoring peace. "Now that the hills and the valley have been divided, the only thing left is separation in the administration. Only after the separation is complete, there will be peace," the council told the governor in a memorandum on January 7. Bhalla, however, told them to maintain peace for finding a solution. 

The Union government in October had called the MLAs belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities to New Delhi for a joint meeting. But the Kuki-Zo MLAs refused to share the dais with their Meitei counterparts and stressed the demand for separation. 

Organisations representing the majority Meitei community, however, are against the demands and seek abrogation of the SoO agreement with the KNO and UPF. They demand implementation of a National Register of Citizens in Manipur in order to detect "illegal migrants" belonging to Kuki-Z-Chin communities, who according to them, pose an identity threat to the Meiteis. 

Highlights - So far... More than 250 people killed, over 60,000 displaced since May 2023 Kuki Zo outfits demands 'separate administration'  Meiteis seeks abrogation of SoO with the Kuki rebel groups, and an NRC in Manipur  Kuki MLAs in October last year refused to take part in a joint meeting with Meitei legislators at Delhi 10 Kuki MLAs maintaining distance from Imphal and the Assembly

Quote - Although the time and venue has not yet been finalised all I can confirm is that our team will be endorsing the KNO and UPF's demand which is separation from the Manipur government run by the Meiteis Ginza Vualzong spokesperson Kuki-Zo Council