The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has welcomed President Droupadi Murmu’s two-day visit to strife-hit Manipur beginning December 11, even as the trip has prompted a statewide shutdown call by CorCom (Coordination Committee), a conglomerate of banned valley-based insurgent groups.
The KZC, which has been holding talks with the Centre to find a resolution to the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zos and Meiteis that began on May 3, 2023, said in a
statement on Wednesday that “her presence in the state at this critical juncture carries deep significance and offers hope to many who continue to live with the scars of the ongoing conflict”.
According to sources, the President is scheduled to watch a polo match and attend a programme at the city convention centre in Imphal on Thursday evening, besides meeting internally displaced persons (IDPs). On December 12, she will offer floral tributes at the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex in Imphal, which commemorates the historic women’s uprisings of 1904 and 1939 against British rule.
Murmu is also expected to visit the Naga-majority Senapati district on Friday, where she will meet IDPs and launch several development projects. Officials said her itinerary may include outreach programmes to promote peace and tribal welfare.
The KZC expressed hope that the President, “being a tribal herself,” would also visit Kuki-Zo inhabited areas to meet “fellow tribal victims who have suffered immensely since the outbreak of violence.” The council urged Murmu to “take note of the humanitarian crisis faced by our people and use her esteemed office to ensure justice, restoration and lasting peace in the region.”
In its statement, signed by KZC secretary (information and publicity) Ginza Vualzong, the council said it holds the President in high regard “not only as the first citizen of the nation but also as someone who understands the struggles, dignity and identity of India’s tribal communities.”
The KZC added: “We remain hopeful that her visit will pave the way for renewed attention to the long-neglected concerns of the tribals of Manipur, particularly the Kuki-Zo people who continue to endure displacement, insecurity and targeted violence amounting to ethnic cleansing.”
Panel stance
While the KZC welcomed Murmu’s visit, the Co-ordination Committee (CorCom) — an alliance of six Meitei insurgent groups — has called for a “total shutdown” across the state from 1am on December 11 until the President departs.
CorCom, which comprises the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), PREPAK (Pro) and factions of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), said in a statement that Murmu’s visit “is not aimed at restoring peace and could aggravate the prevailing situation.”
However, the group announced on Wednesday that it would exempt participants of the Nupi Lal Day events from the shutdown.
Murmu’s visit will be the first by a constitutional head since large-scale ethnic violence broke out in the state, leaving over 200 people dead and more than 60,000 displaced.
Hectic preparations were underway in Imphal on Wednesday, with roads from the airport to the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex being repaired and decorated with welcome arches and banners. Security has been tightened in sensitive zones, including Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
The CorCom had also called a total shutdown during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur on September 13, blaming the Centre for the continuing violence. Though the valley largely remained shut, the public meeting in Imphal had seen a good turnout after mobilisation by BJP leaders.
