Imphal: In a move that has sent ripples through the tribal political landscape of Manipur, the Mizo People Convention (MPC) has formally severed its ties with the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the umbrella body that has represented Kuki-Zo interests since the ethnic violence of 2023.
The decision, announced through a circular issued from the MPC headquarters at Hmua Veng in Churachandpur on Wednesday, marks a significant rupture within the tribal coalition that has, until now, presented a largely united front in its demand for a separate administration.
"No Longer Feasible"
The circular, numbered 4/MPC/HQ/Misc/2025/117 and signed by MPC President K. Lalbiaksanga, states that after a "careful and thorough review" (ngun tak leh chik taka a thlir let hnu ah), the organisation concluded that continuing as a constituent member of the ITLF was "no longer feasible" (remchang tawh lo ni a hriain).
The withdrawal is grounded in provisions of the MPC Constitution, specifically Bung 1: Chang 2(1) and (6) and references a resolution passed during the MPC Executive Meeting No. 10 held on July 5, 2024 (Resolution No. 6). A fresh resolution, No. 2 of Executive Meeting No. 6 dated June 24, 2026, sealed the decision.
The move is effective immediately, from June 24, 2026.
Chairman Candidacy Withdrawn
The circular goes further. It reveals that the MPC President, who had been elected to serve as ITLF Chairman for the 2026-2027 term, a position announced by the ITLF Presidential Council Coordinator on June 20, 2026 has now withdrawn his candidacy.
Not stopping there, the MPC has also pulled back all its individual members, as well as representatives from its Women's Wing who held positions within the ITLF structure.
In short: every thread that tied the Mizo People Convention to the ITLF has been cut.
What This Means
The ITLF was formed on June 9, 2022, at the KIC office in Tuibong, Churachandpur, as a conglomerate of recognised Kuki-Zo tribes. Its constituent bodies include the Paite Tribe Council, Kuki Inpi, Simte Tribe Council, Vaiphei People's Council, Hmar Inpui, United Zou Organisation, and Gangte Tribe Union, alongside the now-departed Mizo People's Convention.
During the 2023–2025 ethnic violence that claimed close to 200 lives and displaced over 60,000 people, the ITLF served as the primary mouthpiece for the Kuki-Zo community, issuing press statements, organising rallies, and demanding a "separate administration", a demand that evolved into calls for a Union Territory with legislature by mid-2024.
The MPC's exit raises uncomfortable questions about the durability of the tribal alliance. While the circular does not spell out the specific reasons for the rupture beyond the constitutional provisions cited, the timing, just four days after the ITLF Presidential Council announced its new leadership lineup, suggests underlying tensions that had been simmering for some time.
The Leadership Angle
Sources familiar with the ITLF's internal workings note that the forum inducted its new executive body for the 2025–2026 term on November 3, 2025, with Pu Letpu Haokip as Chairman and K. Lalbiaksanga as Vice Chairman. The fact that Lalbiaksanga who now serves as MPC President, was elected to the ITLF Chairman post for the 2026-2027 term indicates he had, until this circular, been a central figure in the forum's leadership.
His withdrawal, along with the entire MPC's exit, is not a minor organisational shuffle. It is a political statement.
Local Reaction
At the MPC headquarters in Hmua Veng, the mood on Wednesday afternoon was one of quiet resolve. The circular, also signed by Secretary Edenmawia (Information & Publicity), has been copied to the ITLF Presidential Council Coordinator, all sub-headquarters and units, "all concerned," and the guard file.
The MPC has directed all its units and members to "take necessary action accordingly and promptly."
What happens next is anyone's guess. The ITLF, which has consistently argued that "too much tribal blood has flowed" and that "separation is the only solution," now faces the prospect of navigating its political demands with one of its key constituents walking away. Whether other member organisations follow the MPC's lead, or whether this is an isolated fracture will become clear in the coming weeks.
The Mizo People Convention is headquartered at Hmua Veng, Churachandpur 795128.
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