Guwahati: The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has warned that it may take “stronger political measures”, including asking its MLAs to withdraw from the Manipur government and urging Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups to reconsider cooperation with the government, if its demand for a separate administration is not addressed.In a statement issued by its secretary for information and publicity, the apex body stated that the “Kuki-Zo people continue to face violence from two of Manipur’s three major communities—the Meiteis and the Nagas—while the government’s response reveals a disturbing pattern of selective justice and discrimination.”It reiterated its demand for a union territory with a legislature, calling it “a question of our very survival” and not merely a political aspiration. It said the community could not accept the status quo and wanted a “decisive political solution” beyond assurances.“Our people have been killed, displaced and dispossessed, while our grievances remain unaddressed and our political dialogue lies dormant. The Kuki-Zo Council reiterates its demand for a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with a Legislature. This demand is not merely a political aspiration; it is a question of our very survival as a people,” the council stated adding, “It is essential to ensuring our security, preserving our identity, and enabling us to live with dignity and govern our own affairs.”“If the government fails to take concrete steps to ensure our security, deliver justice and advance a meaningful political solution, KZC will consider stronger political measures, including calling upon our elected MLAs to withdraw from participation in the Manipur government and urging our SoO groups to reconsider their cooperation with the government,” the council stated.“The government’s response exposes a glaring disparity in accountability. While the killing of Meitei or Naga civilians prompts swift action, the deaths of Kuki-Zo civilians have elicited no comparable response.,” it said.It said one of Kuki SoO camps was reportedly seized by security forces after the recent killing of three Meitei civilians, though no link to the killings had been established. It also questioned why the NSCN-IM continues to operate freely despite accusations of killing Kuki-Zo civilians, noting that its ceasefire does not extend to Manipur.“Such selective action raises serious questions about the government’s impartiality,” the council added..It said that more than 250 Kuki-Zo people have been killed since May 3, 2023, and over 40,000 displaced after homes and places of worship in the Imphal Valley were destroyed. It also said 32 Kuki-Zo civilians have reportedly been killed since March 2026 in violence allegedly by the NSCN-IM and ZUF(K), with several villages burnt.“Do Kuki-Zo lives matter? Are we not citizens of India, entitled to equal protection and justice?” the statement asked.
