Kohima: The Zeliangrong Welfare Association, Delhi (ZWAD) issued a plea on August 2 for civil society groups in the Zeliangrong region to remain neutral. Tensions between the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) and the NSCN (IM) continue to boil. These groups operate in an environment marked by deep social fragmentation and insecurity, particularly in Manipur.
ZWAD claims some organizations now show clear bias. They criticize one side while backing another. This erodes the moral authority required for these groups to function. The association argues that civil society must serve the public interest rather than act as a tool for underground factions.
"When civil society becomes an extension of competing interests by promoting selective narratives or mobilising public sentiment in favour of particular groups, it ceases to fulfil the very purpose for which it exists," the statement noted. Internal rivalries take focus away from larger threats to the community.
These include disputes over ancestral lands and collective rights. ZWAD warns that fighting weakens unity across the region. Leaders must choose restraint. They need to favor healing over division and push for dialogue instead of open confrontation. True progress requires a commitment to justice and a shared future.
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