Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Two Kuki legislators walked into the Manipur Legislative Assembly on September 2. Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing and Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen arrived at the Imphal complex for the eighth session of the 12th Assembly. This is their first in-person appearance since ethnic violence ripped through the state in May 2023.
The move defies a direct order from the Kuki Inpi Manipur. The apex civil group had instructed all nine Kuki MLAs to skip the sitting, arguing that presence suggests normalcy despite a total lack of political settlement. Kuki representatives had previously only attended via video conference, including a budget session on March 9, 2026. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh previously touted virtual participation as a positive step, stating, "The state was slowly limping back to normalcy."
Other groups want more. Fourteen Kangleipak civil society organizations publicly demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen attend the session, insisting that leaders from every community must move freely to debate the crisis.
The three-day session agenda is packed. Lawmakers plan to address the reported India-Myanmar land-swap deal and various violent incidents. MLA K Meghachandra Singh intends to raise atrocities from the past two years, specifically the abduction and killing of women and children in Jiribam, the Tronglaobi bombing that killed two children, the murder of three church leaders in Saheibung, and a deadly ambush on the Imphal-Tamei road.
Legislators will also push through a slate of new laws. Items include the Manipur Town and Country Planning, Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland, and Goods and Services Tax amendment bills. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen will introduce the Panchayati Raj amendment, while Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh handles the Fire and Emergency Service Bill. The session also addresses supplementary grants for 2026-27 and resolutions concerning factory and pollution regulations.
Comments