Mourning isn't yet over, say Kuki-Zo groups as they plan to skip events tied to 'PM visit'

GUWAHATI: "Our mourning is not yet over, our tears have not yet dried, our wounds have not yet healed - we cannot dance with joy." This declaration from Imphal Hmar Displaced People Committee captures the defiance of Kuki-Zo groups who said they will boycott events tied to PM Narendra Modi's likely Sept 13 visit to Manipur.

Preparations are underway in Imphal and Churachandpur, though PMO is yet to confirm his itinerary. Displaced people's associations, including Eastern Vaiphei IDPs Welfare Committee & Chandel District IDP Welfare Committee, echoed Hmar committee's stand, signalling that Modi's arrival will 'meet a wall of grief' rather than celebration.

Ethnic violence that broke out in May 2023 has killed more than 260 people, displaced over 60,000 and burned hundreds of villages, hardening divides between Kuki-Zo tribes in the hills and Meiteis in Imphal valley. Relief camps still house thousands.

Apex tribal union Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) said Modi "should be welcomed upon his visit" but stressed it must become a platform "to press for justice and recognition of Kuki-Zo people's collective aspirations". Its demand: a political solution addressing root causes of the conflict. "Temporary relief measures cannot substitute for a lasting settlement," KIM said.

The group also hit back at the Sept 4 suspension of operations (SoO) extension signed by two Kuki armed groups, Centre and state, which included a clause affirming Manipur's territorial integrity. KIM said the deal applies only to those armed groups, not the wider Kuki-Zo community. "Separation from Meiteis has been a lived reality since May 3, 2023," it said, adding SoO groups had already told MHA the chapter on "Manipur integrity" was closed. "Kuki-Zo people do not recognise or uphold the idea of Manipur territorial integrity in any form," KIM said.

Secrecy over PM's itinerary has sharpened tensions. Naga groups have launched a trade embargo, Meitei organisations are pushing back against peace overtures, and Manipur remains under President's rule since Feb. Observers said Modi's visit, if it goes ahead, will happen in a landscape of ethnic fragmentation and competing demands for autonomy. His engagement - who he meets, what he announces, and whether he acknowledges the fractured realities - could potentially set the course of peace and governance for years.