Kuki-Zo community hold rallies seeking separate administration

People belonging to the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday took out three rallies in parts of Manipur, demanding a separate administration and protesting viral audio clips allegedly of chief minister N Biren Singh making certain objectionable comments.

The state government had said the audio tapes were falsely attributed to the chief minister and that the police were conducting an investigation into the matter. It alleged that the "doctored" clips have been released on social media to derail peace initiatives in the ethnic violence-affected state.

Kukis organised rallies at Leishang in Churachandpur district, Keithelmanbi in Kangpokpi, and Moreh in Tengnoupal even as T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, a BJP spokesperson and leader of the Thadou tribe, faced yet another attack on his residence in Churachandpur.


This was the third time Haokip's house has been targeted since the outbreak of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023.

All markets and schools in Churachandpur district remained closed in view of the rally organised by students belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.

The Manipur government had on Friday urged people not to respond to the tribal student bodies' call for shutting down all business establishments, government offices, and private institutions in the three tribal-inhabited districts. The government also warned the student bodies that it will take appropriate action in case of any law-and-order problem.

State commissioner (home) N Ashok Kumar urged people to keep business establishments and private institutions open. Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF) and Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) gave public notices for holding a public rally at Kangpokpi on Saturday and urged people to shut down all business establishments, government offices, and private institutions and join it, he said.

The government has issued instructions to take up necessary preventive and precautionary measures along with a robust response mechanism to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in the state, Kumar said. He requested heads of all central and state government institutions to issue necessary instructions for the normal functioning of their institutions on Saturday.