Songpi: The United Kuki Youth Council (UKYC) on Wednesday issued a detailed press statement as a rejoinder to the press release issued by the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) on 23rd September 2026, stating that it has taken serious note of the content and tone adopted by the student body. The UKYC, in its release bearing Ref. No. UKYC/PR-04/2026 issued from its Administrative Office at Songpi, Lamka, said that certain remarks made by SDSA against the Kuki community were highly objectionable, defamatory and divisive, and that the threatening tone adopted by SDSA towards a Kuki student body was intimidatory and escalatory at a time when the state is already passing through a deep crisis.
The UKYC, through its General Secretary, categorically rejected and condemned the term used by SDSA to label the Kuki community in its press release. The Council stated that such sweeping generalization and vilification of an entire community is irresponsible, factually incorrect, and only serves to deepen mistrust between communities who have co-existed for decades in Senapati district and adjoining areas. The organization said that branding an entire community based on isolated incidents or political differences is unacceptable in a democratic society and that student bodies, which are expected to promote peace, dialogue and mutual understanding, should refrain from using language that stigmatizes any community.
Defending the position taken by the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Twilang Block, which had earlier issued an ultimatum concerning the safety of Kuki villagers, the UKYC said that the ultimatum was a democratic expression of concern for the safety and security of Kuki villagers who have also faced arson, displacement and loss of lives during the ongoing crisis in Manipur. The Council stated that since May 2023, hundreds of Kuki villages have been attacked, burnt and displaced, with thousands still living in relief camps, and that any democratic organization has the right to raise concern for the safety of its people through peaceful and constitutional means. The UKYC said that such concerns should be understood in humanitarian terms rather than being portrayed as a threat to others.
The UKYC also expressed deep concern over what it described as the threatening tone adopted by SDSA in its press release dated 23rd September. The UKYC quoted that SDSA had stated that it ‘will neither tolerate such actions nor remain a mute spectator’ and that KSO will ‘bear sole responsibility’. According to UKYC, such language is intimidatory and escalatory and does not help in de-escalation. The youth council stated that in a sensitive border district like Senapati, which houses diverse communities, student organizations should adopt a language of restraint, dialogue and peacebuilding, instead of issuing warnings that could be misinterpreted and lead to further tension on the ground.
In a strongly worded paragraph, the UKYC also raised the issue of continued atrocities allegedly committed by NSCN-IM cadres against innocent Kuki people in the region. The Council stated that selective killing, intimidation, extortion and cold-blooded murder of innocent Kuki villagers and civilians by NSCN-IM cannot be ignored and must be condemned by all. The UKYC said that while the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur has drawn national attention, the suffering of Kuki civilians at the hands of armed groups operating in Senapati and adjoining hill areas has largely remained underreported, and justice must also be delivered for Kuki civilians who have been killed by NSCN-IM cadres in recent months and years.
The Council further said that the issue of land, security and constitutional rights of the Kuki people cannot be sidelined. “Let it be made clear that UKYC stands firmly for the protection of Kuki villages, land, and the constitutional rights of our people,” the press statement said. The UKYC asserted that any attempt to forcibly suppress legitimate democratic agitation or to silence voices raising concerns about the safety of Kuki villages will be met with a firm, peaceful and democratic response through all available constitutional means. The youth body said that it will continue to use democratic platforms, legal recourse and civil society dialogue to protect the interests of the Kuki people.
The UKYC press release comes at a time when tension has been brewing between student bodies in Senapati district following the KSO Twilang Block’s ultimatum, which had reportedly asked for certain actions concerning the security of Kuki villages located along the contested areas. The SDSA, representing the Naga student community in Senapati, had reacted sharply on 23rd September, warning that it would not remain a mute spectator and that KSO would bear sole responsibility for any consequences. The exchange of press releases between the two student bodies has raised concerns among civil society leaders who fear that such rhetoric could vitiate the relatively peaceful atmosphere in Senapati, which has largely remained insulated from the Manipur valley-hill violence.
Political observers note that Senapati district, being a Naga-dominated district bordering Kangpokpi, has strategic importance, and any escalation between Kuki and Naga student bodies could have far-reaching implications for inter-community relations. While the Kuki community has been demanding protection of its villages, especially in areas where they are in minority and vulnerable to attacks by armed groups, Naga student bodies have been asserting their own territorial and administrative concerns. The UKYC’s mention of NSCN-IM in its rejoinder has added a new dimension to the debate, as the Council has directly accused the armed group of targeting innocent Kuki civilians, a charge that has been denied by NSCN-IM in the past but has been repeatedly raised by Kuki organizations.
Concluding its statement, the UKYC called upon the SDSA and all concerned student bodies to refrain from inflammatory statements and to work towards de-escalation, peace and mutual respect. The Council said that instead of engaging in a war of words and issuing threats, student bodies should play a constructive role in bridging the trust deficit between communities, ensuring safety of all villagers irrespective of community, and upholding the constitutional values of peaceful coexistence. The UKYC reiterated its commitment to peace but maintained that peace cannot come at the cost of security and dignity of Kuki villages, and that it will continue to stand for justice for all Kuki victims, including those allegedly killed by NSCN-IM cadres.
