ITLF Denounces Attacks on Kuki-Zo Council Leadership, Demands Swift Justice

KANGPOKPI — Tension gripped Kangpokpi district after suspected militants set fire to homes and farmhouses in a Kuki-dominated village, triggering an immediate crisis response from the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the district's foremost civil society body.

The incident occurred at K Songlung village. Police said the scale of damage was still being assessed as security forces, including personnel of the Assam Rifles, rushed to the area following reports of arson.

ZUF Claims Responsibility

Militant outfit Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) later claimed responsibility for the incident, alleging that the targeted houses and farm structures were linked to illegal poppy cultivation, stating it had stepped up a campaign against poppy farming and narcotics trafficking in what it called ancestral Zeliangrong Naga territory.

CoTU Responds

The Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) demanded that the state government identify and arrest those responsible within 24 hours, warning it would impose a complete shutdown of National Highway-2, connecting Imphal and Dimapur, if the demand was not met.

"Villages on the outskirts of Kangpokpi district are increasingly being treated as soft targets. We will not be responsible for any consequences arising from this situation."— CoTU Statement, January 2026

Broader Context

The arson came against the backdrop of an already deeply contested landscape. A disputed foothills road linking Kangpokpi and Churachandpur — the only viable route for Kuki-Zo residents who can no longer safely travel through the Imphal Valley — has become a flashpoint between Naga and Kuki-Zo groups, triggering cycles of blockades and counter-blockades.

JIRIBAM — When Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand stepped into the mixed-population border district of Jiribam on February 11, he became the first sitting Chief Minister to visit since ethnic violence erupted nearly three years ago. For the Kuki-Zo and Hmar families who have watched their village of Jairalpokpi go from a peaceful settlement to a site of widespread arson and displacement, the visit stirred something fragile — hope.

Khemchand visited Kalinagar, where he met internally displaced persons from the Kuki-Zo and Hmar communities. He also interacted with Meitei IDPs at Jiribam Higher Secondary School and visited Jairalpokpi, a Kuki-Zo–Hmar village that witnessed widespread violence and arson during the 2023 ethnic unrest.

"We Are All Human"

The Chief Minister's message was one of reconciliation. Emphasising that "first and foremost, we are all human and we are all Indians," Khemchand urged residents to move forward with a spirit of "forgive and forget," describing the restoration of peace and normalcy as the government's top priority.

"First and foremost, we are all human and we are all Indians."— CM Yumnam Khemchand, Jiribam Visit, February 11, 2026

For Ng. Haokip, a 54-year-old mother of three who returned to Jairalpokpi after months in a relief camp, the visit offered a measure of dignity her family had been denied for almost three years. "He came. He saw what happened to our home. That matters," she told community members gathered near the charred remains of the village's community hall.

Cautious Ground

Community leaders, however, are measured in their response. The visit unfolds in a district that remains on edge — the Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (Pherzawl and Jiribam districts) has had to issue warnings against any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or harm local MLAs, stressing that political developments should not fuel animosity among the Hmar, Kuki, and Zomi tribes.

A Path Forward?

For Jiribam's Kuki-Zo and Hmar residents, the road to normalcy is neither straight nor short. But for a single afternoon in February, a Chief Minister walked their streets, looked at what remained of their homes, and spoke of peace. Whether words become policy will be the test that matters most.

CHANDEL / CHURACHANDPUR — In a formal statement issued in the wake of the February attacks on senior Kuki-Zo Council figures, Kuki Inpi Chandel District declared that the assaults represent not merely personal threats but a direct attack on the community's political voice and institutional integrity.

The Official Statement

"The Kuki Inpi Chandel District denounces these atrocities in the strongest terms and demands that law enforcement launch an immediate, relentless probe, hunt down the culprits, and deliver swift, merciless justice. Safeguarding our leaders is non-negotiable for upholding public trust and communal harmony."— Kuki Inpi Chandel District, February 2026

The statement further called on all Kuki-Zo communities to stand united, remain vigilant, and resist provocations designed to create fear and fracture within the community.

The Wider Political Picture

The attacks on community leadership have added urgency to the political campaign for a separate Union Territory. Thousands gathered in Churachandpur at Peace Ground, Tuibong, in a massive rally jointly organised by the Kuki-Zo Council and ITLF, with demonstrators carrying placards reading "Expedite Our Political Solution" and "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied."

The KZC stated in its memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that for nearly three years, the Kuki-Zo people have endured immense suffering, and that the prolonged absence of a political solution, buffer zone violations, and continued vulnerability of Kuki-Zo lands have collectively deepened alienation and insecurity.

KSO's Role

The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) has mobilised student wings across Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Chandel to ensure community members are informed of their rights and the latest CSO resolutions. KSO chapters have coordinated with local churches and community halls to disseminate official statements and maintain community cohesion during periods of unrest.

Impact

Rallies across the hill districts have reignited the debate over the political map of Manipur. For the Kuki-Zo people, Union Territory status represents hope, security, and the right to self-determination. With leadership now under direct physical threat, the demand has moved from political aspiration to a question of survival.