For more than two years, Manipur has been living a lie. On paper, it is one state, but on the ground, it is divided into two. Since the violence of May 2023, the separation between Kuki and Meitei has become total and is now visible to the whole world. This article examines why this de facto separation must be made de jure.
Kuki and Meitei Are Totally Separated Since May 2023 Without Any Return
The world knows that since May 2023, Kuki and Meitei have been totally separated. This is not a temporary law-and-order issue or a communal clash that can be settled by a peace committee. This is a complete and total separation of two peoples, two identities, and two territories. There is no intermixing, no shared administration, and no free movement between Kuki areas and Meitei areas. Buffer zones are manned by central forces like the Assam Rifles and the BSF, not by the state police, because the state police itself is divided on communal lines. For all practical purposes, we are already two separate states, not one. We have our own governance, our own civil society, and our own protection. Pretending that we are still under one administration in Imphal is a fiction that exists only on paper and in the imagination of those who refuse to accept reality.
The ground reality proves that this separation is permanent and irreversible. Kuki people cannot go to Imphal, our capital, without risking their lives. Our students cannot study there, our patients cannot get treatment there, and our people cannot even transit through the valley to reach other parts of India. Similarly, Meitei people cannot enter Kuki areas like Lamka, Kangpokpi, or Tengnoupal. Hundreds of our churches were burnt, our villages were destroyed and looted, and our people were displaced into relief camps where they still live today. More than 200 of our people have been killed and more than 50,000 displaced. Trust has been broken beyond repair. There is no social relationship, no economic relationship, and no administrative relationship left. After such a complete population separation, forcing us back into one state under Imphal is not peace; it is a recipe for more bloodshed and more violence. A separate administration is the only honest, practical, and constitutional solution.
Meitei and Naga Share One Administration But Only Nagas Move Freely Everywhere
Look at the contrast in the valley. Meitei and Naga are under one administration. Naga people can live, do business, and move freely in Meitei areas, including Imphal. They run shops, buy land, and work in government offices, and there is no threat to them. But Meitei people cannot live or move freely in Naga areas. In places like Senapati, Ukhrul, and Tamenglong, Meitei entry is restricted and settlement is not allowed. The Nagas have their own hill councils, their own customary protection under Article 371C, and their own political identity, even while being part of the valley administration. If the Nagas can have such protection and still be considered separate, then why are the Kukis denied a separate administration when we are even more separated?
This double standard shows the reality of Manipur’s hill-valley politics. The state protects Naga customary rights and respects their autonomy, but the same state has always tried to dominate and assimilate the Kuki people. Naga and Meitei have an understanding because the Nagas have armed political bargaining power. Kukis are denied even the right to free movement on the IT Road in the Twilang Block, our essential supplies are blocked, and our ambulances are attacked. If Meitei and Naga can co-exist in one administration with unequal rights, it is only because the Nagas have secured their own space. Kukis have no such space under Imphal, which is why we need a complete separation from Meitei administration, not just a council.
Therefore, the demand for a separate state or Union Territory for the Kuki people under the Indian Constitution is not new; it is just a recognition of reality. Kuki and Meitei have already been living as two separate states since 2023. The Government of India must act as a neutral custodian and formalize what already exists on the ground. Without a separate administration, there can be no justice and no lasting peace in Manipur.
Keeping three communities in one administration is the main cause of the Manipur conflict. Meitei, Naga, and Kuki have different histories, different lands, different religions, and different political aspirations, and they cannot be forced together under Imphal forever. The present violence is not an accident; it is the result of this forced unity. So, India needs to wake up and divide Manipur into three states for peace in the region — one for Meitei, one for Naga, and one for Kuki. Only three separate states can guarantee security, equality, and permanent peace in the Northeast.
