Demanding the reimposition of President's Rule in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo Women's Forum on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) said the crisis in the state is a political issue that cannot be resolved merely by deploying more security forces.
The group also asserted that its demand for a separate administration is imperative for survival.
"Our political demand is not merely a political demand. It is a question of our survival. We want to survive," Ginza Vualzong, a spokesperson of the Kuki-Zo Council, said at a press conference at the Constitution Club here.
The forum's demands come amid fresh violence in the state, where a 45-year-old Kuki-Zo man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while collecting bamboo shoots in a forested area of Kangpokpi district on Tuesday. His companion escaped unhurt.
The killing came a day after three Meitei villagers were killed in an ambush in a neighbouring area.
The forum alleged that since March, at least 32 Kuki-Zo civilians, including two pregnant women, have been killed by armed Naga groups. It also claimed that around 55 houses across 14 Kuki-Zo villages were burned down.
"The situation in Manipur is not a security issue. The government of India is trying to solve it, thinking that it is a security issue by sending lots and lots of security forces in Manipur. For three years nothing worked because it is a political issue," Ms. Vualzong said, urging the Centre to broach a political dialogue.
The forum demanded a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature, asserting that the community does not seek separation from India but wants a constitutional arrangement that ensures their safety and dignity.
The speakers said the community felt safer during President's Rule, imposed in February 2025 and revoked in February 2026, than under the elected government led by Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
"During the President's Rule, we did not lose any lives in violence," Ms. Vualzong said, demanding its reimposition.
The forum also sought an investigation into alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement involving the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN-IM, and demanded accountability for attacks allegedly involving the outfit and the Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson).
Referring to violence in Chassad village in Kamjong district, the speakers alleged that it had been targeted repeatedly.
An attack on October 17 claimed the life of Seikhohao Haokip, and a Kuki-Zo village was set on fire on Wednesday morning, they said.
The forum demanded ex gratia compensation for the next of kin of the 32 people killed since March and compensation for families whose houses were burned or destroyed.
It alleged that Kuki-Zo residents in parts of Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, and Kamjong districts face an economic embargo, with disruptions to the supply of food, medicines, fuel and other essential commodities.
The speakers claimed that restrictions on access to markets has pushed up prices, with cooking gas cylinders costing around ₹3,000 in some areas.
The forum also raised concerns over access to healthcare, citing the case of three Kuki-Zo youths who were seriously injured in an attack at Leilon Munlui village in Kangpokpi district on June 15.
According to its statement, the youths were initially admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal but were later shifted to Churachandpur District Hospital after opposition to their treatment on ethnic grounds.
It accused the National Investigation Agency of selectively targeting Kuki-Zo civilians and called for impartial investigations into all allegations of violence, irrespective of the community or organisation involved.
Lalboi Doungel, another speaker, mentioned violence between the Kuki and Naga communities in the 1990s and said the government's efforts to stem the bloodshed have failed.
Vishwajeet Singh, a legal adviser to Kuki and civil society organisations, questioned the effectiveness of security arrangements and alleged that the pattern of violence raises concerns about attempts to drive the community out of its areas.
The speakers also demanded the removal of Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, alleging links to armed groups accused of attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians, and called for the withdrawal of the ceasefire with NSCN-IM.
The forum urged the Centre to initiate a political dialogue on its demand for a separate administration, take concrete measures to protect civilians, restore access to essential services, and prevent more violence.
The Kuki-Zo Women's Forum, Delhi and NCR, was established in 2023.
The ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities in Manipur has claimed at least 306 lives, while 49 people remain missing and thousands have been left homeless.