Manipur: Kuki-Zo Community Protest in Delhi; Seek Union Territory Status

NEW DELHI: Members of the Kuki Students’ Organization and the Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum from Delhi and NCR staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding a separate Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki areas of Manipur. The protestors expressed their inability to return to Manipur until the ongoing crisis in the northeastern state is resolved.

Protesters chanted slogans and held placards, accusing former Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh of being responsible for the state's deteriorating circumstances. They dismissed his recent resignation as a “smokescreen” and reiterated their demand for a distinct administration to protect their community’s interests.

In a statement issued at the demonstration, the Kuki-Zo representatives highlighted the historical injustices and systemic exclusion faced by their community despite its integral role in the Indian Union. They accused the current administrative machinery in Manipur of failing to protect their lives, address grievances, and safeguard their cultural and linguistic identity.

The protestors also urged the central government to form a committee to draft a roadmap for a distinct administration, which they believe is the only viable solution to the Kuki-Zo people’s plight.

They appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider their demands, including the creation of a Union Territory under Articles 239A and 3 of the Constitution, and to take concrete steps toward fulfilling them.

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