70 days on, no solution to violence, Kuki groups harden position, seek separate state

Speaking to The Indian Express, KIM spokesperson Thangminlen Kipgen said that with the violence continuing, the body felt it was “high time” to make its stand explicity clear. “Earlier, we were open to exploring and studying as to what form of separate administration would be viable for us. It has become very evident and obvious that the two communities cannot co-exist, and the Central government has not been making any effort to discuss the question of separate administration,” he said.

Kipgen added, “It is necessary to take a strong stand, make it clear to our people and the government, so that moving forward, all our meetings can be on the basis of this.”

So far, there have been no statements from either the Central or state governments on the Kuki legislators’ demand for a separate administration. After his visit to Manipur more than a month ago, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said “the Centre has always stood for the territorial integrity of Manipur” and that this stand has not changed.

A few days later, the Privileges and Ethics Committee of the Manipur Assembly had issued show cause notices to the 10 Kuki MLAs that had raised the demand for a separate administration. They were asked to explain “why they raised a demand that can lead to the disintegration of Manipur”.

Speaking to The Indian Express on the Kuki Inpi’s statement, one of the 10 legislators said the legislators were still discussing the framework for the separate administration structure.

“In Manipur, there are many communities. Apart from us, there are the Nagas, the Meiteis and also the Muslim community. It’s very complex. It will not be decided on ground zero but will instead be done at the Centre… We are in touch with Supreme Court lawyers; we need to discuss with Central leaders. We will frame our own separate administration as such,” said the legislator.

Despite this, the KIM’s stand is indicative of the decreasing willingness at the ground level to compromise and negotiate.

Earlier this month, hours after the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) announced that the highway blockade on NH2 in Kangpokpi district will be lifted as “an olive branch”, KNO leader Seilen Haokip’s house in Churachandpur district was torched.

Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Front secretary Muan Tombing has also said that there is no question of compromise.

Referring to an incident on July 2 when resident David Thiek of Langza village in Churachandpur was beheaded during an attack, he said, “The next day, the Chief Minister visited Meitei-dominated areas in Bishnupur district where violence had taken place. But the place where David had been killed was just a few hundred metres away, and he never even mentioned it. It is not possible to engage with this government.”

On the question of separate administration, Tombing claimed that different groups and elected representatives of the community had last month decided on a separate Union Territory with a Legislature.