Chandel: The Kuki History and Identity Protection Committee (KHIPC) has issued a strong condemnation and total rejection of the appeal made by some Kangpokpi-based Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) urging the selective Deputy Chief Minister, Mrs. Nemcha Kipgen, to resume her office in Imphal. In a press release issued from its office in Lamka Town, Songpi District on October 17, bearing reference no. KHIPC/PR/2026/17, the committee stated that the Kuki people have been totally separated since May 3, 2023 and there is no need to go back to Imphal again.
The KHIPC termed the appeal as highly selective, politically motivated and an act of betrayal against the Kuki community. According to the committee, the statement was issued without the consent and sentiment of the general Kuki public. The organization described the act of urging the Deputy CM to return to the valley as not only illogical but also suicidal, shameful and treacherous, arguing that Imphal is not safe for any Kuki. It recalled that Mrs. Nemcha Kipgen herself and her husband Semtinthang Kipgen, a KNF-P leader, had to flee Imphal to save their lives when Meitei mobs targeted the Kuki populace after the outbreak of violence.
Outlining its clear stand, the committee said the appeal goes against the political demand of the Kuki people. It stated that the Kuki community, through blood and sacrifice, has placed a unanimous demand for Separate Administration in the form of Union Territory with Legislature. Any attempt to send an elected Kuki leader back to Imphal to resume duty under the Manipur State Government, the committee said, is a direct dilution and betrayal of the legitimate political movement that has been sustained for over two years.
The KHIPC further stated that such an appeal is a betrayal of the Kuki martyrs. The release noted that more than 250 innocent Kuki civilians have been brutally murdered by Meitei mobs and Meitei militants since May 3, 2023, thousands of houses burnt and entire villages wiped out. To ask a Kuki leader to go back and sit with the same regime that has overseen this genocide, it said, is an insult to the memory of the martyrs and deeply hurts the sentiments of the victims, internally displaced persons and bereaved families.
In its third point, the committee argued that such irresponsible appeals severely affect the sentiments of the entire Kuki community and send a wrong message that the Kukis have accepted the Manipur Government again. It emphasized that the Deputy CM post was selectively given from Imphal and not elected by her own community, and therefore returning to Imphal does not represent the will of the Kuki people but creates confusion in the collective struggle.
The KHIPC earnestly urged all Kuki CSOs in Kangpokpi District to stand firm with truth, dignity, principle and visionary leadership. Stating that this is a crucial hour of Kuki history, the committee said the community must not compromise its future for temporary personal gains. It asserted that once the decision to seek separation from a government that has failed and persecuted them has been taken, there must be no going back, and the community must remain resolute.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to the demand for Separate Administration and warned that any organization or individual indulging in acts that undermine the collective interest of the Kuki community will be held accountable by the people. The statement was issued by the Department of Information and Publicity of the KHIPC with the motto “History unforgotten, Identity unshaken, Heritage unbroken.”
