Manipur tribal tensions escalate: Zomi council opposes Kuki Zo council’s presence in Churachandpur

In a fresh flashpoint amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, a tribal organisation in Churachandpur has issued a strong objection to the functioning of the Kuki Zo Council in Zomi-majority areas, stating that it does not recognise the legitimacy of the term “Kuki Zo.”

The Zomi Council, regarded as the apex body representing the Zomi people, released a statement condemning what it called “unauthorised operations” by the Kuki Zo Council. 

“It has learnt that certain authorities in the central government have invited a particular civil society organisation from the Manipur hills to surreptitiously discuss the issue of reopening national highways for free access,” the Zomi Council said. It warned that any discussion involving such matters must include the participation of the Zomi Council and its affiliated bodies. Otherwise, it said, such arrangements would be “obsolete and untenable.”

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The Zomi Council recalled that in May 2024, it had officially rejected the usage of the term "Kuki Zo" and its associated council, asserting that such nomenclature was unacceptable in Zomi-inhabited regions, particularly in Churachandpur district and Lamka township.

The council further instructed the Kuki Zo Council to set up its offices only in areas where it is accepted by the local population.

Reiterating its commitment to the rights of the Zomi people, the statement added, “The Zomi Council will always stand with its nine constituent tribes and shall continue to work tirelessly to safeguard their security, dignity and well-being.”

This latest move reflects the deepening divisions between tribal communities in the region, with competing identities and organisational claims continuing to add layers of complexity to Manipur’s fragile socio-political fabric.