Lamka: The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) renewed its demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people, asserting that recent attacks on villages and civilians underscore the urgent need for a political solution to ensure “peace, dignity, security and equality” for the community.
The demand came in the wake of a bomb attack on Leilon Munlui village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on June 15 morning, in which three Kuki-Zo youths were seriously injured.
The KZC alleged that the attack was carried out by cadres of NSCN-IM and its proxy outfit ZUF-K, and described the incident as part of a broader pattern of violence directed against the Kuki-Zo community.
The injured were identified as Genlenmang Vaiphei (15), Lunliandou Vaiphei (20) and Paogoulal Chongloi (18), who were evacuated to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, for treatment. Chongloi is a promising footballer who has represented the famed Indian club Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
KZC alleged that the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a sustained campaign aimed at terrorising Kuki-Zo villages and civilians.
“The repeated killing of our people and burning of our villages point to a deliberate effort to terrorise and uproot the Kuki-Zo populace,” the council said.
Referring to the recent killing of six Naga hostages, the council said it had unequivocally condemned the incident but maintained that violence against Kuki-Zo civilians must receive equal attention.
KZC claimed that since March 11 this year, at least 14 Kuki-Zo individuals, including three pastors, have been killed in attacks allegedly linked to NSCN-IM and ZUF-K, while more than six Kuki villages were allegedly burnt down, resulting in displacement and humanitarian distress.
Against this backdrop, the council reiterated its long-standing political demand, urging the Government of India to acknowledge what it described as the growing insecurity faced by the Kuki-Zo community.
“The Kuki-Zo are citizens of India. Our lives matter, and we deserve peace, dignity, security and equality,” the council said.
Calling for a durable political settlement, KZC appealed to citizens across the country to condemn violence irrespective of ethnicity and urged New Delhi to address the crisis through an urgent and lasting political solution, including its demand for a separate administration.
