Manipur: CoTU urges Liangmei Naga Council to withdraw complaints, reaffirms support for Kuki-Zo community

The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) reaffirmed its dedication to being a staunch advocate for the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur's Sadar Hills, condemning what it described as a sustained campaign of state-backed repression against the community. COTU’s statement comes amid ongoing tensions in the region and calls for action against what it views as ethnic discrimination, which it accuses of infringing upon the basic freedoms and rights of the Kuki-Zo people.

The committee claims that over the past 17 months, Kuki-Zo individuals have been subjected to severe racial profiling, religious persecution and the deliberate dismantling of their institutions, with government machinery allegedly being used to enforce a "fascist, nepotistic, and hegemonic" agenda. Specifically, COTU accused Manipur’s Chief Minister of organizing what it terms an "ethnic cleansing campaign," where state resources have been mobilized to execute divisive and hostile acts that target the Kuki-Zo community.

“This is a political genocide in plain sight,” stated the COTU, asserting that the Chief Minister is not only unwelcome in Kuki-Zo areas but has also become a symbol of intolerance and exclusion. 

Addressing the neutral stance of the Naga community amid the escalating ethnic conflict, COTU called on Naga leaders in Manipur to remember their historical ties with the Kuki-Zo people. The statement expressed disappointment in the Naga leadership's position but also urged for renewed unity among the tribal communities, emphasizing that the same divisive forces threatening the Kuki-Zo could easily target other groups as well.

“The majoritarian forces are seeking to annihilate anyone who is not aligned with them. We urge our Naga brethren to resist these forces and stand with us against the ongoing oppression,” COTU appealed.

The committee also appealed directly to the Liangmei Naga Council (LNC), urging them to withdraw their recent complaints lodged with the President of India. COTU invited LNC and other tribal organizations to join forces, stressing the importance of collective action in resisting state abuses and ensuring the protection of all tribal and minority rights.

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