MANIPUR: In a sharp and united condemnation, all major Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Sadar Hills have announced their decision to abstained from participating in the official welcoming of the President of India to Senapati on December 12, citing what they described as a “painful and unacceptable neglect” of the conflict-affected Kuki-Zo population in Kangpokpi District.
The joint CSOs including Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills (KISH), Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills Chief Association (SAHILCA), Thadou-Inpi Sadar Hills and Kuki-Zo IDPs, under the aegis of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, expressed deep disappointment that the President’s itinerary makes no mention of meeting the displaced Kuki-Zo families who have borne the worst brunt of the ongoing conflict since May 3, 2023.
According to the CSOs, the Kuki-Zo people have faced unprecedented violence and mass displacement. Thousands were forcibly expelled from Imphal, and continued assaults on remote villages have claimed more than 200 lives, leaving a trail of devastation that has stretched for over two years. More than 50,000 Kuki-Zo individuals remain confined to makeshift relief camps across Kangpokpi District, surviving in severely deteriorated and overcrowded conditions.
Despite this staggering humanitarian crisis, the organisations said the President’s visit “completely overlooks the suffering, trauma, and unresolved plight of the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kangpokpi.” They said the absence of any effort to assess, acknowledge, or even symbolically recognise the pain of the displaced community has triggered widespread anguish among the victims and those advocating for their welfare.
Calling the exclusion “deeply regrettable,” the CSOs have collectively resolved to abstain from all participation in the official welcoming programme of the President’s visit.
The organisations renewed their call for the Government of India to urgently address the longstanding humanitarian situation, restore justice, and ensure rehabilitation measures for the Kuki-Zo people who continue to live in prolonged uncertainty and hardship.
