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NEW DELHI — Kuki-Zo groups held a protest under the banner of Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) here on Saturday, demanding a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo tribal communities in ethnic strife-torn Manipur.
The Delhi-NCR unit of the KSO also released a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a separate Kuki-Zo administration in Manipur and opposing the Centre's decision to withdraw the Assam Rifles from the buffer zones in the northeastern state.
Around 600-800 members of the Kuki and Zo communities gathered at Jantar Mantar despite rain, KSO general secretary Seilenmang Haokip said.
"We, the Kuki Students' Organisation Delhi-NCR, write to you with a deep sense of urgency and desperation. The Kuki-Zo people are enduring severe atrocities and existential threats under the current Meitei-led government in Manipur, headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh," the organisation said in its memorandum addressed to Modi.
"The Kuki-Zo tribal communities are facing an existential threat under the current state administration, which has failed to protect our rights, our lives and our dignity," it added.
It appealed to the prime minister to intervene and take immediate steps to establish a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur.
"We, therefore, earnestly appeal to you, Honourable Prime Minister, to intervene in this matter and take immediate steps to establish a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo tribal communities in Manipur," the memorandum read.
"This is not just a demand for political autonomy but a plea for our very survival," it added.
The KSO alleged that the Biren Singh government has not only failed to protect the Kuki-Zo people but has "actively participated in their persecution".
"The state's law-enforcement agencies have been biased in their approach, with selective arrests, harassment and intimidation of Kuki-Zo individuals. In many instances, the police have either turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed against our people or have been active participants in the violence," it alleged.
The KSO also voiced its opposition to the BJP-led Centre's decision to withdraw the 9th and 22nd battalions of the Assam Rifles from the buffer zones in Manipur.
"The Assam Rifles have played a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, especially in areas where the state police have failed to act impartially. The buffer zones, manned by the Assam Rifles, have been a lifeline for the Kuki-Zo people, providing much-needed protection from the violent attacks perpetrated by radical elements within the Meitei community," it said.
The protesters voiced their concerns over the "potential repercussions" of replacing the Assam Rifles with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in these sensitive areas, according to a statement issued by the KSO.
"The buffer zones, established by the Ministry of Home Affairs in May 2023, have been maintained by the Assam Rifles to separate the warring Meitei and Kuki communities and prevent further violence in the conflict-ridden state," the statement said.
"The Assam Rifles have been instrumental in stabilising the situation in Manipur's buffer zones," a KSO spokesperson said during the rally.
"Their removal at this volatile time could undo the progress made towards peace and potentially lead to a resurgence of violence," he added.
The KSO highlighted the Assam Rifles' long-standing presence in the northeast, emphasising their familiarity with the region's terrain and socio-political dynamics as well as the trust they have earned from local communities.
The memorandum has been signed by KSO president Paojakhup Guite and Haokip. The organisation said the memorandum has been sent to the Prime Minister's Office.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march was taken out in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Since then, more than 220 people, including members of both communities and security personnel, have been killed in the continuing violence.