Highway gesture shouldn’t be misconstrued as ethnic concession: Kuki groups

Guwahati: The reopening of NH-2, a lifeline for Imphal, has re-emerged as a flashpoint in Manipur’s fragile peace process, as two Kuki-Zo armed umbrella groups have clarified that the move “must not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of unrestricted movement between Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas.

”The statement, issued jointly by Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF), comes just two days after they signed a revised extension of Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state govt for a year under which they agreed on maintaining the territorial integrity of Manipur, relocating designated camps away from vulnerable areas and working for a solution to bring lasting peace and stability in the state.The first SoO was signed in 2005 and since then it has been periodically extended.The two groups said the Kuki-Zo community never blocked the highway, and that the Kuki-Zo Council’s appeal was confined to the Kangpokpi stretch, aimed at facilitating safe passage of “essential goods” in coordination with central security forces.“This gesture must not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of unrestricted movement across buffer zones between Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas.

The sanctity of these zones remains paramount, and the responsibility for securing the highway lies with the Government of India and its deployed force,” the two groups said.KNO and UPF said they, the Centre and the state have reaffirmed their commitment to have a structured and time-bound tripartite dialogue following the extension of the SoO. They added that the dialogues will be conducted with the objective towards a negotiated political settlement within the framework of the Constitution.They also pledged to “uphold the people’s aspiration in the future course of political dialogue for creation of a Union Territory with legislature for the Kuki Zo people within the Constitution.”The two groups invoked Articles 1, 3, and 368 of the Constitution, asserting that any territorial reconfiguration must be initiated and ratified by Parliament, not imposed through executive or judicial overreach, signalling a strategic shift where the Kuki groups appear to be positioning their demands within India’s legal architecture, while rejecting unilateral assertions of state authority.KNO and UPF also urged the public and media to refrain from “spreading misinformation” and to respect the nuanced realities of the region’s security and political landscape.The KNO-UPF statement comes when both Meitei and Kuki-Zo grassroots organizations have rejected the centre’s deals, including the SoO extension and NH-2 reopening. The Meitei umbrella group, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has condemned the ceasefire as a “deceptive and anti-people move,” while the Village Volunteers Coordinating Committee (VVCC) of the Kuki community declared the highway reopening “null and void.

”Amid all these rejections, in a notable development, Meitei culutral organisation Arambai Tenggol, welcomed the pact, calling it a “crucial step towards achieving peace.” The group pledged full cooperation with the MHA and the state administration, while also urging a firm stance on illegal immigration from Myanmar.Manipur has been reeling from ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, when a tribal solidarity march opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status triggered widespread unrest. Over 260 people, including civilians and security personnel, have lost their lives and over 60,000 people were displaced, majority of who are still living in relief camps. The recent months have seen relative calm, though.