KCAM Directs Kuki-Zo Leaders to Reject Manipur State's Demands for Documentation

The Kuki Chiefs' Association, Manipur (KCAM), has issued a strong condemnation of a recent directive from the Manipur State Government's Department of Tribal Affairs and Hills. The order requires detailed documentation of Kuki-Zo villages and hills from 1964 to the present, coinciding with a crisis marked by violence and displacement of over 40,000 Kuki-Zo individuals.

KCAM describes the government's demand as not only insensitive but also indicative of systemic discrimination against the Kuki-Zo community. This order arrives at a precarious time when Kuki-Zo people are facing existential threats from radicalized factions within the Meitei community, prompting fears of further encroachment on ancestral lands.

The association asserts that this directive undermines traditional governance structures integral to Kuki-Zo identity and threatens their rights and dignity. In response, KCAM has declared that no Kuki-Zo chief will comply with the government's request for documentation that may facilitate illegitimate encroachments.

KCAM calls for unity among the Kuki-Zo people, urging them to resist what it describes as unjust measures and to pursue the establishment of a Separate Administration—a Union Territory with legislative powers that acknowledge their autonomy and rights as citizens.

The Kuki-Zo community remains steadfast in its commitment to protect its heritage, land, and future amid ongoing challenges.