After Kuki Inpi Manipur’s (KIM, the apex body of Kuki tribes) statement specifically seeking a separate State under Article 3 of the Constitution in light of the ongoing conflict in Manipur, signs of fissures are starting to appear among Kuki-Zo civil society organisations (CSOs) and councils about the specifics of how they want to be separated from the State of Manipur.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) in a meeting on Monday decided to specify that they too are seeking a separate State, or a Union Territory if a State is not agreeable, according to their spokesperson Ginza Vualzong, while the Zomi Council (apex body of Zo tribes) has taken the position that specifics of autonomy can only be discussed once dialogue begins with the Union government. It added that it is not part of the ITLF.
The 24 Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups (which includes Kuki and Zo groups) under the umbrella of Kuki National Organisation and the United People’s Front have taken a similar position as that of the Zomi Council and have chosen to distance themselves from the Kuki Inpi’s statement, just as the Zomi Council has.
