Kuki-Zo leaders seek UT with legislature

Talks with Ministry of Home Affairs focused on Kuki-Zo demand for separate administration amid tensions in Manipur.

- NIBIR DEKA GUWAHATI

In a major political development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a two-day round of talks in Delhi with the Kuki-Zo armed groups under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF) - on November 6 and 7. The discussions centred on the Kuki-Zo community's core demand for a Union Territory with a legislative assembly.

The KNO and UPF delegations, representing the Kuki-Zo political and armed leadership, were led by senior leaders from both umbrella bodies, while the Centre was represented by A.K. Mishra, Advisor (North East), MHA.

The first day's discussions focused on the implementation of the September 4 tripartite agreement between the MHA, the Government of Manipur, and the SoO groups. The Kuki-Zo representatives underscored the urgent need for an alternative administrative arrangement in the Kuki-Zo-inhabited districts, citing the collapse of governance and law and order in the wake of the ongoing ethnic conflict.

On the second day, deliberations revolved around the demand for a Union Territory with a legislature, with the KNO and UPF asserting that "coexistence under the Manipur state administrative setup is no longer possible."