Ukhrul, August 5: The Zomi Council has strongly denounced the Kuki-Zo Council, accusing it of illegitimate activities and pushing a divisive agenda in Manipur’s hill districts. The apex Zomi body also rejected what it calls the Central government’s selective engagement with certain civil society organisations over the reopening of national highways amid the ongoing conflict.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the ZC said it had learned that a CSO from the Manipur hills was invited by authorities to discuss free access through National Highways under current disturbed conditions. The Zomi Council called this move “surreptitious” and unacceptable, especially in the absence of its own participation.
“It must be made clear that NH-2 (Tipaimukh Road from Lamka to Spiukawn) and NH-102B (Guite Road from Lamka to Tuivai via Sinzawl, Singngat and Behiang) pass through Zomi-inhabited territories,” the Zomi Council said. “Any discussion on their public use without the Zomi Council and its affiliated bodies is obsolete and untenable.”
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The ZC further alleged that Assam Rifles personnel had escorted a delegation of the Kuki-Zo Council to and from a meeting in Kangpokpi on July 29, and again along NH-102B on August 4 during their travel to Aizawl. It accused the paramilitary force of playing a “divisive role” and showing undue favour to one CSO.
The Zomi Council, which held its General Assembly in May 2024, reiterated its resolution rejecting the term “Kuki-Zo” as a legitimate identity. It said any organisation using the name “Kuki-Zo Council” is “unwelcome” in Zomi areas, particularly in Churachandpur (Lamka).
Calling on the Kuki-Zo Council to operate only in areas where it is accepted, the Zomi body warned against setting up offices or deploying armed personnel in Zomi settlements. “Such reckless practices pose a direct threat to the security and well-being of innocent bystanders and the general public,” it said.
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Reaffirming its stand, the Council said it would continue working with its nine constituent tribes to safeguard their land, dignity and identity. It urged government authorities to understand and respect the community’s deep-rooted ties to their ancestral territory.