The Kuki Inpi Assam (KIA), the apex body representing the Kuki community in the state, has urged the Assam government to announce the formation of a Kuki Welfare and Development Council (KWDC) before the upcoming state elections, calling it the minimum acceptable arrangement to address the community's long-standing political aspirations.
KIA President H Haolai read out the organisation's statement at a press meet held on Tuesday at the Agriculture Guest House in Haflong, in the presence of senior office bearers including Vice-President Dimpu Thangew, General Secretary LK Hengna, Spokesperson Nem Chongloi, KWA President James Doungel, and KSO Dima Hasao President.
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The KIA noted that the Kuki community's demand for a dedicated political platform has remained unresolved for decades. A proposal for a Kuki Tribes Regional Council was acknowledged in principle during former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's tenure, but failed to materialise due to administrative and political obstacles.
The organisation also highlighted the community's historical role in the formation and early development of hill districts like Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong, with several Kuki leaders having held key positions in the early years of the former North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council.
Kuki tribes are primarily concentrated in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong, as well as the Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi, and are counted among the region's earliest inhabitants.
The KIA acknowledged that prolonged delays had once pushed some youth groups to take up arms. However, those groups entered a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Governments of India and Assam in 2012, witnessed by then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
In the interest of peace and stability, the Kuki Inpi said it had moderated its demand — stepping back from a full Kuki Tribes Autonomous Regional Council and instead asking for the KWDC as a minimum political arrangement.
The organisation appealed to the Assam government to take immediate steps to settle the issue and announce the council before the elections, saying such a move would address community aspirations and foster trust, harmony, and inclusive development in the hill districts.