Leading Kuki-Zo civil society organisations on Wednesday warned MLAs from the community that they would bear sole responsibility for any fallout if they joined the Manipur government, asserting that such a move would not “deliver peace, justice, or reconciliation”.
Hours before BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the chief minister on Wednesday evening, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) and the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) opposed any Kuki-Zo MLA joining the government, indicating that restoring normalcy in the conflict-hit state remains challenging.
There are 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs in the Assembly, seven of them from the BJP. One of them, Nemcha Kipgen, was sworn in virtually as deputy chief minister.
In separate statements, the KZC and KIM reminded Kuki-Zo MLAs of the December 30, 2025, unanimous decision of constituent tribes, apex bodies and regional organisations against participating in the formation of a new government.
“This collective resolve was further reaffirmed on 13 January 2026 at the joint meeting of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups, the Kuki-Zo Council, and Kuki-Zo MLAs — popularly known as the Lungthu Meeting — held in Guwahati. The meeting resolved that the Kuki-Zo people shall not participate in the formation of the Manipur government unless the state and central governments provide a clear and written assurance committing to the political demand of the Kuki-Zo people,” the KZC said.
The KZC said “any Kuki-Zo MLA who chooses to disregard the collective decision taken at the Lungthu Meeting will be doing so in their individual capacity and KZC shall not be held accountable for the consequences arising from such unilateral decisions”.