Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Two major Kuki umbrella groups are pushing back against state claims of ceasefire breaches. The Kuki National Organisation and the United People’s Front represent 25 underground groups and roughly 2,200 cadres under a tripartite Suspension of Operations deal. They formally rejected accusations that their fighters left designated camps with weapons to join active conflict zones.
In a letter to Joint Monitoring Group chairman N. Ashok Kumar, the groups fired back. They accused the Manipur government of playing a double standard. They also claimed the state is fueling violence against the Kuki community. The organizations pointed to blocked national highways and the destruction of infrastructure as evidence of state bias. They insist any review of camp security must account for the total collapse of local order since ethnic fighting started on May 3, 2023.
The groups demand an independent federal investigation into the conduct of state forces and public officials. They claim to have provided timelines and video evidence to support their case. They state, "the physical separation of communities in Manipur had become an established reality" and remains a primary reason for their push for a separate administration. They want a Union Territory featuring its own legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.
The groups highlighted the presence of Ministry of Home Affairs officials, including A.K. Mishra and Mandip Tuli, during the early stages of the violence. They also blamed the Manipur government for undermining the tripartite peace process through unilateral withdrawals in January 2024. They want equal accountability, arguing that authorities should investigate former state officials and security personnel alongside any scrutiny of the Kuki leadership.
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