The proposed “march to the hill districts” by the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) in Imphal on March 8, 2025, has sparked strong opposition from Kuki-Zo groups, who have expressed concerns over the initiative.
On March 4, 2025, FOCS, a coalition of 20 groups based in Imphal, announced plans for a peace expedition to the hill districts. This comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive to allow unrestricted movement on roads connecting Imphal to the rest of the country starting March 8.
FOCS president Th Manihar stated that the objective of the expedition is to deliver messages of peace to the “buffer zones” and hill villages that have been largely inaccessible since ethnic violence erupted 22 months ago. He added, “After discussing Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive, we decided to launch this expedition to visit the hills where the Meitei people have not been able to go since May 2023.”
The ethnic composition of Manipur includes the Meitei community, which dominates the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, who inhabit the surrounding hills, with the Kuki-Zo primarily located in the lower hills.
However, the proposed march has been met with staunch opposition from Kuki-Zo organisations. A statement issued by the Village Volunteer, Eastern Zone, read: “There will be no free movement in Kuki-Zo areas before the establishment of a separate administration/Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.” Kuki-Zo groups argue that they can no longer coexist with the Meitei community and see a separate administration as the only solution to the ongoing conflict.
“These responses put beyond any doubt what was always suspected, that the Manipur violence was engineered and is a means to an end of a decades-old larger design, which is to split Manipur. The demand for a separate administration is not a result of the ongoing violence,” said a spokesperson for the Meitei Heritage Society.
Kuki-Zo organisations have voiced their opposition, stating, “Those who have inflicted suffering on the Kuki-Zo people, those who have taken innocent lives, and those who continue to deny our fundamental rights will not be allowed free passage into our lands.”
Another group, the Young Kuki, called the proposed march a “hostile provocation against the Kuki-Zo people” and warned of the potential consequences if the expedition proceeds.
Meanwhile, the Thadou Community International (TCI) expressed support for the Centre’s initiatives to restore peace in the region. The TCI also reaffirmed the distinct ethnic identity of the Thadou people, distancing them from the Kuki community, and stressed the importance of recognising Manipur’s diverse ethnic groups as a crucial step toward lasting peace and reconciliation. (With inputs from The Hindu)