In a plea for urgent intervention, Kuki groups have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), requesting their help in addressing the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur. The state has been grappling with severe clashes between the Kuki-Zo tribal community and the Meitei ethnic group, with the violence escalating since May 2023.
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHUR), in its letter, accused the Meiteis of orchestrating a “majoritarian mayhem” aimed at seizing tribal lands. “This is not the first time, nor will it be the last,” the group stated, claiming that the constitutional protections and human rights of tribal people in the region have repeatedly been violated.
The letter included reports and news clippings documenting the violent incidents in Manipur and urged the NHRC to take decisive action to prevent what the Kuki group called a “state-sponsored ethnic cleansing” targeting their community. KOHUR also expressed concern that without intervention, the Kuki-Zo tribal population could face total annihilation.
The ethnic conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 200 people since May 2023, continues to challenge the state’s stability. The Kuki group stressed that the current situation not only threatens human rights but also violates the Constitution and undermines national unity. They called on the central government to take swift action to protect the tribal minority from further violence.