Manipur: Kuki-Zo Council urges Union Territory during PM Modi's visit

Imphal: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Manipur since the 2023 violence, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), representing the Kuki-Zo community, submitted a memorandum urging the creation of a separate Union Territory.

They demanded the UT with a legislature under Article 239A of the Indian Constitution.

The memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister, demands a lasting political solution to address the ethnic violence and displacement that have plagued the state since May 2023.

The KZC described the Prime Minister’s visit as a “historic occasion,” marking the first time in nearly four decades that an Indian Prime Minister has visited the region.

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The council stated that the Kuki-Zo people have been “forcibly separated by the aggression of the majority community in Manipur.” 

The demand for a Union Territory with a legislature, as provided under Article 239A, has been a consistent plea, reinforced by the recent Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed on September 4, 2025, between the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, the Central Government, and the Manipur government.

The agreement commits to a “time-bound political settlement under the Indian Constitution,” a point the KZC urged the government to expedite.

“We are confident that under your able leadership, our voice will be heard, our pain acknowledged, and our aspirations respected,” the memorandum stated, expressing trust in PM Modi to “heal our wounds, restore our dignity, and safeguard the future of the Kuki-Zo people.”

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The KZC’s appeal comes amid ongoing ethnic tensions between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, which have resulted in over 260 deaths and the displacement of nearly 60,000 people since May 2023.

The council’s memorandum also follows the renewal of the SoO agreement, which includes provisions for maintaining Manipur’s territorial integrity, reopening National Highway-2, and relocating militant camps to reduce conflict. However, the KZC clarified that the reopening of NH-2 does not imply unrestricted movement across ethnic buffer zones, maintaining that such measures require a broader ceasefire agreement.