IMPHAL: Tribal organisations representing the Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur have urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to consider establishing Union Territory for the hill districts as a solution to the ongoing violence in the state.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) submitted memoranda to Shah through district magistrates, advocating for a Union Territory with a legislature for Kuki-Zo communities under Article 239 (A) of the Indian Constitution.
In their plea, the CoTU also proposed forming a Kuki-Zo regiment within the Indian military by integrating existing Kuki-Zo village volunteer forces.
This measure aims to prevent the rise of armed insurgency among young Kuki-Zo defenders, as reported by a local press.
Additionally, the tribal outfits pointed out that public infrastructure and development projects in Kuki-Zo areas have stalled.
They accused the state government of conducting mass job recruitments that excluded tribal youth due to their inability to travel to the state capital, deepening feelings of discrimination and marginalization.
The ITLF suggested that until a political solution is achieved, the Centre should establish a separate secretariat for the hill districts.
Meanwhile, in Imphal, women vendors from Ima Market on Monday, organised under the Khwairamband Ima Keithel Coordinating Committee for Peace, protested to demand immediate parliamentary intervention to address the ongoing violence in the state.
Opposing the calls for separate administration by the Kuki-Zo community, the women appealed to the Centre to maintain Manipur’s unity and integrity.
Police prevented the group from marching towards the Manipur Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister’s Bungalow, intercepting them at Kangla Fort’s western gate and sending them back to Khwairamband Bazar.
Additionally, the World Meetei Council has reiterated its demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Meiteis in an open letter to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
This demand, which was a trigger for the outbreak of violence on May 3 last year, remains a contentious issue.
The Council, after a recent two-day meeting, issued an ultimatum to Singh to recommend ST status for Meiteis to the Union government by August, coinciding with the start of the 2026 delimitation exercise.
