Songpi: The Kuki Inpi Manipur, KIM, has issued a firm directive to all Kuki MLAs to refrain from attending the 8th session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly scheduled to commence at Imphal from September 2, 2026, pending a political settlement of the Kuki people’s demand for Separate Administration.
According to the press release issued by its Secretariat on 31st August 2026, the KIM stated that participation of Kuki MLAs at this juncture, when the fundamental political question concerning the future of the Kuki people remains unresolved, would be inconsistent with the collective political position and aspirations of the Kuki people.
The organization said the Kuki people have made their political aspirations clear and that there can be no return to business as usual without a political solution. The demand for Separate Administration cannot be set aside while normal legislative proceedings are resumed as though the prevailing crisis has been resolved.
The KIM called upon every Kuki MLA to demonstrate political responsibility, solidarity and fidelity to the mandate and aspirations of the people they represent by strictly adhering to the directive. It warned that any Kuki MLA who disregards the collective directive will be viewed as departing from the collective political position of the Kuki people and siding against their legitimate political aspirations.
At this critical juncture, the KIM said, Kuki MLAs must stand firmly with their people. Political representation cannot be divorced from the political will of the people. The present circumstances demand unity, discipline and a clear political stand rather than going to Imphal to participate in an Assembly whose legitimacy as an instrument of governance over the Kuki areas remains fundamentally contested.
On the Kuki political demand, the KIM reiterated that the Kuki people are demanding Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with Legislature under Article 239A of the Indian Constitution for the Kuki-dominated areas. The demand emerged after the May 3, 2023 violence, after which Kuki people stated that they can no longer live together with the majority community under the same administration due to complete breakdown of trust, security concerns, and administrative discrimination. The Kuki people have maintained that separation is the only viable long-term solution to ensure safety, justice, and equitable development and to protect their land, identity and political rights.
The KIM further stated that the Government of India must acknowledge that normalcy cannot be projected through Assembly sessions while Kuki villages continue to face attacks, displacement continues, and more than 40,000 Kuki people remain in relief camps. The Kuki Inpi said it will not accept any attempt to use participation of Kuki MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly to project an impression of normalcy or to dilute the demand for a political settlement.
