Manipur: Kuki-Zo Rally Behind Naga Push to Scrap 'Arbitrary' Seven Districts

IMPHAL: In a significant development, the Kuki-Zo community supported the United Naga Council's (UNC) demand to roll back the "arbitrary creation" of seven new districts declared in Manipur in December 2016 and restore the previous position.

The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) has written a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu demanding the cancellation of all new districts formed in Manipur beyond 1972 with their pre-1972 original names. They stated this would ensure 'justice' for the three communities—Meitei, Kuki-Zo, and Nagas—in Manipur.

Signed by five leaders of the WXZIC, including its President T.S. Haokip, the memorandum appealed to the President to intervene in the longstanding "political issues and conflicts" involving the Kukis, Meiteis, and Nagas in Manipur. The memorandum was also endorsed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Official sources report that inconclusive tripartite talks over the UNC demand to reverse the creation of the seven new districts have occurred in New Delhi on 12 October. A meeting took place with MHA, state govt and the Naga body.

A Manipur government official said it had been decided at the meet on 12 October that the second round of tripartite talk would take place on 15 November in the Senapati district.

 After the notice from MHA for holding the tripartite talks, the UNC declared a temporary halt to its 48-hour strike which it had scheduled to commence from midnight on 3 October in support of their demand.

After much talk, the United Naga Council issued an ultimatum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 11 September and threatened intensified protest activities if action was not initiated on the still unresolved issue that had been lingering about the creation of seven new districts in Manipur since 2016.

The UNC said the seven districts were created on December 8, 2016, without informing or consulting the concerned stakeholders by bifurcation of existing districts. It stated that the move was against four agreements reached between the Manipur government and the Naga people, besides an assurance given by the central government in 2011.

Backing these agitations, various Naga organisations conducted protests, strikes, and economic blockades on all National Highways. So far, there have been ten rounds of tripartite talks between the central government, the Manipur government, and the UNC. The last rounds of discussions took place on March 9, 2019, wherein the Manipur government assured that a concrete proposal would be presented to them in the next round of discussions, which is awaited at the end of July this year.

The UNC also stated that they had sent a letter to the Special Secretary for Northeast Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs on January 22, 2024, demanding restart the negotiations and reminded him on February 23, yet to receive a response. The Nagas are mainly spread over six districts of Manipur-Tamenglong, Chandel, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Noney, and Senapati-along the Nagaland and Myanmar borders. Strangely enough, these areas remained unruffled for 17 months of ethnic unrest between the non-tribal Meitei community and the tribal Kuki-Zo community.

ALSO READ:

ALSO WATCH: