Kuki-Zo groups from Manipur stage demonstration, demand separate Union Territory

New Delhi: The Kuki Students' Organisation and the Kuki-Zo Women's Forum Delhi and NCR staged a demonstration here on Saturday, and raised the demand for a separate Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki areas of Manipur. Scores of members of the Kuki-Zo tribe gathered at the Jantar Mantar and raised slogans, saying they cannot go back to Manipur unless the crisis in the northeastern state has been resolved. The protesters carried placards with slogans that called Biren Singh's resignation from the chief minister's post a "smokescreen" and highlighted their demand for a separate Union Territory. The protesters blamed the former chief minister for the situation prevailing in Manipur.

In a statement issued at the demonstration site, the protesters said the Kuki-Zo community has endured historical injustices. "The Kuki-Zo community has endured historical injustices and would like to reiterate the urgent need for a political solution for the community in Manipur," the statement, copies of which would also be sent to the offices of the prime minister and home minister as a charter of demand, said..It said the community, an integral part of the Indian Union since its inception, has historically faced marginalisation, injustices and systemic exclusion from mainstream governance structures in Manipur, despite its significant contributions to the country. "The present administrative machinery in Manipur has utterly failed to protect our lives and address our grievances, aspirations and rights," it said. The demands of the Kuki-Zos include the creation of a separate administration -- a Union Territory with a legislature -- for them. "A separate administration is the only viable path to the emancipation of the Kuki-Zo people," the statement said. The protesters also demanded that a committee be formed at the earliest to prepare a roadmap for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo community and the protection of rights and interests of its members, including land rights, cultural heritage and linguistic identity.

"This will demonstrate the commitment of the Government of India to resolving Manipur's complex problems and fostering a lasting atmosphere of mutual trust," they said. The statement added that a separate administration will enable the Kuki-Zo community to preserve its unique cultural heritage and linguistic identity, without external suppression. The protesters also demanded that the village volunteers from the community should not be arrested, adding that they will not give up arms unless the Centre assures them of protection against attacks. "Unless the Government of India ensures absolute and unwavering protection against such attacks, we will not relinquish our arms," the statement said. "We resolutely demand a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with legislature, as enshrined in Article 239A and Article 3 of the Constitution, to secure our inherent right to self-governance and shape our own destiny within the Union of India," it added. The groups also questioned whether the preservation of Manipur's territorial boundaries will take precedence over measures to protect and ensure the safety of its citizens, and asked if the Indian Parliament is incapable of putting an end to the Kuki-Zo community's perpetual plight. "Why is there a lack of constitutional safeguards for the Kuki-Zo people, allowing their rights to remain unprotected?" they asked. "The Kuki-Zo people have every right under the Constitution to live with dignity and enjoy the same rights and freedoms as every other community within this great nation, Bharat," the statement said.

The protesters requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider their demands and initiate concrete steps to fulfil those. Ethnic violence has been raging on in Manipur for the last 21 months, accounting for at least 250 lives so far. BJP's Biren Singh resigned from the chief minister's post on February 9 and President's Rule was imposed in the state on February 13. Singh's resignation was a long-standing demand of the Kuki-Zo community, which has blamed him for the situation in the northeastern state.