By Elvish Haokip | Kukiland Express Desk
Songpi, May 4, 2026: Thousands across Sadar Hills in Kangpokpi district gathered at Martyrs’ Cemetery, Phaijang, on Saturday to observe “Separation Day,” marking three years since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The observance was accompanied by a 12-hour total shutdown, with business establishments, schools, and private institutions closed and vehicular movement restricted except for emergency services. The day unfolded as a collective act of remembrance and political assertion for the Kuki community.
At Phaijang, the central programme was held under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Participants offered floral tributes at the graves of those killed in the conflict and observed a minute’s silence. A respectful parade and traditional gun salute by volunteers underscored the solemnity of the occasion. CoTU Joint Secretary Lamminlun Singsit read an eight-point declaration adopted by the community, reaffirming its demands for recognition and security.
Addressing the gathering, CoTU spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen said the Kuki people have endured three years of what he described as governance marked by injustice and persecution. He invoked India’s democratic ideals to argue that the community’s sacrifices should not be met with abandonment. “The Kuki community, having witnessed such travesty of justice for the past three tumultuous years under tyrant leadership espousing fascism, cannot but observe this day with sobriety,” he said, paying tribute to those who died defending land, homes, and dignity.
Kipgen called for unity and for the community to set aside internal differences to reclaim legitimacy. He reiterated the demand for freedom from tyranny while stressing that any future arrangement must remain within the framework of the Constitution of India. The event, observed monthly as “Remembrance Day” and annually as “Separation Day,” has become a focal point for civil society messaging on the state’s political fault lines.
In Moreh, Tengnoupal district, thousands assembled at the Moreh Martyrs Complex on Sunday for a parallel observance. The programme, held within the KSO Moreh Campus at Ngamkhai Veng, was organised jointly by the Hill Tribal Council, Kuki Women’s Union & Human Rights, Moreh Youth Club, Moreh Pastors Fellowship, Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi, and the Kuki Students’ Organisation (Moreh Block). Leaders led prayers for the community and for families affected by the conflict.
Speakers at Moreh voiced concern over the political future of the Kuki people, saying the present situation has made coexistence increasingly untenable. They argued that only a separate administrative framework can ensure security and stability. Participants paid floral tributes and observed moments of silence, with grief and resolve marking the tone of the gathering.
The Moreh programme concluded with a unified demand for the creation of a Union Territory with legislative powers under Article 239A. Organisers said this remains the only viable solution for political recognition and long-term peace. The events in Kangpokpi and Moreh add to a wider pattern of commemorations across Kuki-inhabited areas, signaling a sustained push for separation amid Manipur’s ongoing ethnic divide.
