‘Chaos may happen’ if Kuki-Zo MLAs join Manipur govt., says KZC chairman

Amid efforts by the Centre to restore a popular government in Manipur, the chairman of Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) said that if the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs indeed become a part of the State government, “chaos may happen” as the people are still “emotional and sentimental” in the aftermath of ethnic violence that erupted in the State since 2023.

Henlianthang Thanglet, chairman of KZC, a conglomerate of Kuki-Zo bodies, said in an interview with The Hindu that it was the MLAs who first wrote to the Prime Minister for a separate administration.

There are ten Kuki-Zo MLAS in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, which includes seven Kuki-Zo legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“It is not healthy at this point to have a popular government. It would be better if the President’s Rule continued for another year,” Mr. Thanglet said.

Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on February 13, 2025. The Union government is contemplating restoring the popular government in Manipur for which the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs is crucial.

After ethnic violence erupted in May 2023 between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people, buffer zones were created between the hills and valley districts to keep the warring communities away.

Several clashes and violence have taken place in the areas where the Meitei-dominated districts in the valley and the Kuki-Zo populated areas in the hills merge. Free movement of people from the Meitei community on National Highway-2 that passes through the hill district of Kangpokpi and is a key road that connects the valley districts to Nagaland and Assam has remained affected since 2023. Similarly, Kuki-Zo people are unable to access the Imphal airport.

“NH is not the property of Kuki-Zos, Meiteis or the Nagas. It has not been shut by us. If they want to travel, it should be with security. But there is a fear-psychosis [among Kuki-Zos] of going to Imphal and same is the case with the Meitei people passing through Kangpokpi.”

When asked if governance has been affected due to President’s Rule, Mr. Thanglet said: “There is a lot of improvement in the security situation due to President’s Rule. But let peace prevail first. If a popular government is there, it may reignite the violence. Jammu and Kashmir was under President’s Rule for five years,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups on September 4, 2025 and the community was hopeful that the Centre may accept their demand for a separate administration — Union Territory with legislature — in the future.

“MHA has started the dialogue with SoO groups. They have started discussing land rights among other issues. In the meantime, if dialogue continues then the government also might be in a position one day to accept what we have demanded,” Mr. Thanglet said when told that at no point the MHA has agreed for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo areas.

Around 250 people were killed and 60,000 people were displaced after the violence erupted and over the past one month, around 9,000 people have returned to their homes.

Mr. Thanglet said none of the Kuki-Zo people have been able to go back to their homes. “Most of them had homes in Imphal. We cannot send them back right now. I am appealing to the Governor to provide police station and central security forces, then they can be sent back,” he added.