Representatives of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), and Kuki-Zo elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on Tuesday, January 13, adopted a series of firm resolutions calling for an expedited constitutional settlement for the Kuki-Zo people, including the creation of a Union Territory with a Legislature.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted at a joint meeting held in Guwahati, reflecting mounting frustration over prolonged political uncertainty, continued ethnic violence, and the absence of a lasting administrative solution in Manipur.
The meeting opened with a detailed review of the prevailing political and security situation, recalling a formal political demand submitted to the Central Government in September 2023. Participants revisited the ethnic violence and targeted attacks endured by the community for over a year and voiced serious concern over alleged inaction and complicity by state agencies. The forum also took note of what it described as an unprecedented de facto demographic and administrative separation that has persisted for the past 32 months.
Against this backdrop, the joint forum resolved that the Central Government must urgently fast-track negotiations to address the demand for a Union Territory with a Legislature, supported by strong constitutional safeguards to protect land ownership and indigenous rights. Emphasising the need for certainty, the meeting asserted that any negotiated settlement must be finalised and formally signed before the completion of the current Manipur Legislative Assembly’s normal tenure.
The resolutions further outlined preconditions for the reinstallation of an elected government in the state. Any future government, the forum said, must provide a written and time-bound commitment to support the proposed Union Territory with a Legislature and ensure that the settlement process is completed within the present Assembly’s term.
Warning of political non-participation, the meeting resolved that in the absence of concrete assurances from both the Centre and the State, the forum would honour the political will of the people by refraining from participating in the formation of an elected government in Manipur.
Setting a final and non-negotiable deadline, the joint meeting declared that a definitive political solution for the Kuki-Zo people must be achieved before the 2027 General Election, stressing that further delays would be unacceptable in view of the scale of displacement, violence, and administrative paralysis experienced in recent years.
