CoTU Opposes FOCS Move, Warns of Renewed Violence and Unrest

In a strong response to the resolution passed by the Federations of Civil Society (FOC), a coalition of 20 valley-based organizations, the Committee on Tribal Unity has condemned the planned march into the hill districts of the Kuki-Zo community, calling it a blatant breach of the buffer zones.

The Kuki-Zo community has consistently advocated for the sanctity of these buffer zones, which have served as the last line of deterrence against escalating violence and aggression from secessionist Meitei militias. Any attempt to undermine this arrangement, they warn, risks reigniting conflict in the region.

Furthermore, the Kuki-Zo leadership has rejected the "free movement" proposal endorsed by Home Minister Amit Shah and conveyed by the Governor of Manipur, labeling it a misrepresentation of the ground reality and an extension of radical Meitei narratives.

Contrary to accusations, the Committee on Tribal Unity emphasized that essential commodities and food supplies passing through Kuki-Zo-dominated areas along National Highway 2 have never been deliberately blocked. Any disruptions, they argue, were only brief and meant to draw the Centre’s attention to the valley’s failure to reciprocate humanitarian efforts—a situation that remains unresolved.

The Committee strongly opposes the FOC’s planned intrusion under the guise of assessing the Central Government’s peace initiatives, calling it a dangerous provocation that could trigger fresh conflict. They urge the Governor not to succumb to the majoritarian Meitei narrative, which has long harbored secessionist ambitions, but instead to uphold justice for the minority Kuki-Zo community.

Reiterating their demand for separate administration under Article 239A of the Constitution, the Kuki-Zo leadership calls for immediate protection to safeguard the integrity of India’s North Eastern frontier.