Documentation of Kuki-Zo villages strongly condemned by KCAM

The Kuki Chiefs’ Association, Manipur (KCAM), has strongly condemned a recent order issued by the Manipur State Government’s Department of Tribal Affairs and Hills, which demands detailed documentation of Kuki-Zo villages and hills from 1964 to the present.

KCAM viewed the directive as highly insensitive, particularly in the context of the ongoing violence and displacement of over 40,000 Kuki-Zo people, as their villages have been burned and uprooted amidst the current crisis.
KCAM expressed concern that the order reflects systemic discrimination and injustices against the Kuki-Zo community. The association highlighted the troubling timing of the directive, stating that it comes at a moment when the Kuki-Zo people are facing existential threats from what they described as radicalized Meitei groups.

KCAM believes that the order seeks to undermine the traditional chieftainship and rights inherent to the Kuki-Zo people, while also potentially facilitating encroachment on their ancestral lands.
In response, KCAM has resolved that no Kuki-Zo chief should comply with the state government’s demand for documentation. The association also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing a Separate Administration with a Union Territory status that respects the autonomy and rights of the Kuki-Zo people.
The association called on the Kuki-Zo community to stand united in defiance of the government’s order.