Kuki-Zo village volunteers from Tengnoupal and Chandel districts of Manipur on Wednesday warned of “strong resistance” against any forcible attempt to enter their areas as part of the Centre’s push to ensure free movement on all roads in the strife-hit state from March 8.

The office of the Village Volunteer, Eastern Zone, which covers Kuki-Zo-majority areas in the two districts, made the assertion while responding to an announcement by a Meitei outfit to launch “peace expeditions” to buffer zones and hill areas of the state on March 8.

Reacting to the proposed march announced by the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), the Village Volunteer said in a statement: “There will be no free movement in Kuki-Zo areas before the establishment of a separate administration/ Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.”

“We stand firm in our commitment to protecting our people, our land and our future. Any attempt to infringe upon our rights or forcefully enter our areas will be met with strong resistance,” the statement added.

The Village Volunteer is the second Kuki-Zo organisation after the Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (Cotu) to oppose the Centre’s free-movement initiative to ensure smooth connectivity between the Kuki-majority hills and the Meitei-dominated valley.

A Kuki-Zo activist said the Village Volunteer represented those defending their villages from Meitei attacks since the outbreak of the ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.

The Meiteis also have a voluntary village force to guard their areas.

The FOCS has proposed expeditions to buffer zones (areas between Kuki-Zo and Meitei settlements manned by security forces) and to villages in the hill areas that have remained out of bounds for the Meiteis since the conflict broke out.

The FOCS, which has not revealed the expedition destinations, took the decision following Union home minister Amit Shah’s directive to the security forces on Saturday to ensure free movement on all roads of Manipur from March 8 and take strict action against anyone trying to create obstructions.

The Village Volunteer stated: “The relentless injustices, inhumane atrocities and systematic oppression committed against our people cannot be ignored or brushed aside under the pretence of peaceful marches. Those who have inflicted suffering on the Kuki-Zo people, those who have taken innocent lives, and those who continue to deny our fundamental rights will not be allowed free passage into
our lands.”

“Our demand for a separate administration is not just a political aspiration but a necessity for our survival, security and dignity. We urge all authorities concerned to take note of the deep-rooted grievances and legitimate demands of the Kuki-Zo people. Until a just and lasting solution is reached, we will not allow those who have persecuted us to move freely in our territories. Any individual or organisation attempting to reconcile with the perpetrators through the government before the establishment of a separate administration/UT will face severe consequences,” it added.

Cotu had on Monday said that “no free movement shall be permitted in Kuki-Zo areas until a resolution that respects the community’s aspirations is reached”.

The organisation also resolved to carry forward its “unwavering struggle for a separate administration” in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature, a demand strongly opposed by
the Meiteis.

Cotu’s declaration to oppose free passage evoked a strong reaction from the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi) — an Imphal-based Meitei organisation — which urged the Centre to take “immediate and decisive legal action” against Kuki-Zo outfit and its leadership “for openly challenging the sovereignty of the nation”.