Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Manipur visit on Saturday, his first in two years since ethnic violence erupted in the state killing more than 200 people, and injuring thousands others. The two groups – Kuki-Zo and Meitei – who went through deadly clashes in the state, have welcomed the visit. However, the two have also released separate statements putting forth their demands to bring peace and stability in the region, which is currently under the President’s rule.
The Kuki-Zo community, in its statement, welcomed the revised Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with Kuki militant groups that was signed on September 4. On the other hand, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei civil society organisation, has condemned the same, reported the Indian Express.
PM Modi will be visiting Churachandpur and Imphal on Saturday. While Churachandpur is a Kuki-dominated area, Meiteis form the majority in Imphal. The visit is seen as a symbolic gesture by the PM to convey need of balance in the region. Now, the demands of the two communities are what the Centre will have to ponder about to make the visit a success.
Kuki-Zo’s demands: A request to centre for a new Union Territory
The Kuki-Zo community has asked the government to use parliament’s power under Article 239A of the Indian Constitution and created a new Union Territory, separate from Manipur. They said this demand has arisen due to necessity, and not because of convenience.
“For years, we have been voicing our demand for complete separation from Manipur, seeking a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with legislature under Article 239A of the Indian Constitution. This demand arises not from convenience, but from necessity – for peace, security, and survival of our people,” the statement said, as per the IE.
“More than 250 innocent lives have been lost at the hands of the majority Meitei community; over 360 churches and places of worship have been reduced to ashes; more than 7,000 homes have been burnt; and over 40,000 of our people continue to live as displaced persons in relief camps, separated from their ancestral homes,” it further read.
The Kuki-Zo council said whether one likes it or not, the stark reality is that the Kuki-Zo people have been forcibly separated by the actions and aggression of the majority community in Manipur. “Despite these grave circumstances, we continue to uphold our faith in the democratic spirit and leadership of India,” it added.
The council said that Parliament should use the powers conferred upon it through Article 3 of the Constitution, and create a separate UT for Kuki-Zo, like it created states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Uttarakhand, and made Ladakh a Union Territory.
Welcoming the newly revised SoO agreement between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and militant outfit United People’s Front (UPF-Zomi), the council said it was a positive step, and is the “only means for a permanent solution”, the IE report said.
The SoO is an agreement that the Centre and the Manipur government and two dozen Kuki militant groups had initially signed in 2008 to bring an end to hostilities. The deal was extended every year until it expired in February 2023. The Manipur government unilaterally scrapped the agreement in 2023. But just days before PM Modi’s visit, reported IE, the Home Ministry signed a revised SoO.
In a joint press release, the Kuki Civil Society Organisations of Churachandpur welcomed PM Modi, and said they appeal to the visiting dignitaries to acknowledge and honour the sentiments of the local populace. They said for a very long time, they have endured deep-rooted discrimination.
“We hope this maiden visit marks the beginning of a path towards justice for the Kuki-Zo people,” the statement reportedly said.
Meiteis seek NRC, removal of illegal immigrants
The Meitei group, COCOMI, in a statement a day before PM Modi’s visit to the state said that Kuki-Zo’s demand of a separate UT is nothing but “ethnicization” of citizenship and statehood.
“This visit must not carry even the slightest trace of exclusion or ethnic favouritism. Any attempt to ‘ethnicise’ citizenship or statehood will only accelerate Balkanisation rather than foster unification. The PM’s message must instead reaffirm equality, justice, and security for all indigenous peoples of Manipur,” the statement read, the Indian Express report mentioned.
COCOMI convener Khuraijam Athouba also confirmed that there will be negative impact if any agreement is reached on the statehood demand. Instead, the group has asked the Centre to conduct an NRC-like exercise in Manipur to detect illegal immigrants.
“The COCOMI’s stand is clear: The detection of illegal immigrants and immigrant-origin populations in Manipur is the key to resolving the unnatural demographic expansion that has severely distorted the state’s social and political balance. An NRC or a similar robust mechanism is essential,” the statement said.
The group also sought for the resettlement of people who have been displaced and are living in relief camps. “Equally crucial is ensuring the constitutional guarantees and fundamental rights of every Manipuri, which have been curtailed or denied for the past two years, especially the right to free movement across every part of the state. Without the restoration of these rights, peace will remain hollow and incomplete,” the statement said, as per the IE report.
“The Prime Minister must issue a clear warning to all forces that obstruct peace, exploit the vulnerable, or seek to destabilise the state: We must not tolerate proxy wars, narco-terrorism, or demographic aggression,” the group further clarified.