After barely a week the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Security Advisor for the Northeast A K Mishra met the members of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), Zomi Council and representatives from Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi, Chandel, Pherzawl and Jiribam in Churachandpur on March 11 and informed them of a 13-point action plan by the Union Government of India (GOI) to restore normalcy in Manipur, violence amongst “Kuki-Zo” tribes erupted in Churachandpur from where Meiteis had been pushed away by killing and destroying their properties to ashes and dust since May 3, 2023.
Recently, fresh violence not between Kuki-Zomis and Meiteis but amongst Kuki-Zomi tribes broke out in Manipur’s Churachandpur town on Tuesday night (March 18, 2025), just hours after a peace agreement was signed between the Hmar Inpui Manipur and the Zomi Council.
Tensions flared after a group of rioters removed a flag belonging to a Zomi militant outfit from a mobile tower, leading to a violent confrontation. During the clashes, Lalropui Pakhumate, 53, was shot dead after the Hmar community opposed a Zomi group hoisting Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA)’s flag near Sielmat bridge as violence spiralled out of control amidst heavy security deployment in the town after fresh violence broke out in the “Kuki-Zo”-dominated district that has been on the boil following a clash between two ethnic groups on March 17.
As the violence escalated and a mob vandalised property, security forces used tear gas and fired live rounds in the air to control the situation. Reports quoting police sources said, militants took advantage of the darkness and reportedly fired shots.
Actually, the latest violent clashes were triggered by an incident on the night of March 16, when Hmar Inpui General Secretary Richard Hmar who is also, Finance Secretary of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) was allegedly attacked by members of the Zomi community. The clash began when Richard Hmar, while driving, nearly collided with a two-wheeler rider belonging to the Zomi community. A brief argument escalated into a violent attack on him, leading to heightened tensions between the two groups. In response, the Hmar Village Volunteers (HVV) enforced a total shutdown in Pherzawl and Jiribam districts. Pherzawl is predominantly inhabited by the Hmar tribe, while Jiribam has a mixed population, with Meiteis forming the majority.
The district authorities imposed curfew under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita after the incident. To prevent further escalation, security forces conducted flag marches across the town and imposed a strict curfew in the entire district. Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and cooperate with law enforcement.
The Churachandpur district administration has issued a strong appeal urging all parties to cease violent activities and restore peace. District Magistrate Dharun Kumar S on March 19 stated that the conflict had resulted in significant distress and suffering on both sides, with reports of attacks and increasing tensions. He warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone engaging in violence and called on community leaders to engage in dialogue with the administration to resolve the crisis peacefully.
Just hours before the fresh violence, the Hmar Inpui and Zomi Council had signed a peace settlement to lift the shutdown and refrain from any disruptive activities. As part of the agreement, the attacker’s family agreed to pay Rs 50,000 to Richard Hmar’s family for organising a traditional peace feast. An initial sum of Rs 2,00,000 was pledged for his medical treatment, with further financial assistance promised if needed. Both communities pledged to prevent any future violence.
However, despite a peace agreement signed by the Hmar Inpui Manipur and the Zomi Council on March 18 and a number of appeals for peace from the top leaders of different bodies of “Kuki-Zo” tribes, tensions persist and confrontations continue on the ground.
Meanwhile, the six MLAs belonging to Kuki-Zomi tribes from the districts of Churachandpur and Pherzawl – Ngursanglur Sanate, Vungzagin Valte, Letzamang Haokip, Paolienlal Haokip, L M Khaute, and Chinlunthang – also issued a joint statement appealing for maintaining peace.
“Let us remember that we have been going through the most critical and difficult times in our history; and we have been fighting for our rights shoulder to shoulder as one. Let us also understand that our forefathers have taught us the spirit of resilience and that of forgiveness and peaceful resolution of any kind of conflicts through our customary laws. Let us all invoke these values, the Christian values of forgiveness to resolve the ongoing misunderstanding among us in the interest of our community and for posterity,” the joint statement read. “We earnestly appeal to everyone in our community to uphold peace and harmony and solve any issues without giving a communal colour in order to build a cohesive, united and strong community,” the statement continued.
“We urge our community leaders and civil society organisations to continue to work hard to maintain peace and tranquillity. We urge the State government, particularly the district administration, to take up all requisite measures for restoration and maintenance of law and order and peace and harmony,” the six MLAs said in the joint statement.
Church and tribal leaders also issued a five-point joint statement calling for peace, unity and reconciliation among all ethnic and religious groups. “To prevent the recurrence of such misunderstandings and to foster mutual trust and communal harmony in the district [Churachandpur], a joint peace committee will be established to monitor the situation and address any misunderstandings that may arise between communities in the future,” they said.
However, the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF) declared an “indefinite emergency shutdown” in Churachandpur on March 19, 2025 suspending of all activities, including closing down schools and colleges and shutting shops and business establishments, until the situation improved in the area. The ZSF said the shutdown became necessary given the volatile situation. Churachandpur town is dominated by the Zomis while Hmars primarily live on the outskirts.
In the meantime, reports said that the prevailing tension made authorities shift some Kuki-Zo people, displaced during the violent conflict against the Meiteis in 2023, from the New Bazaar relief camp in Churachandpur town to another relief camp at Tuibong in the district. The situation got to the District Hospital in Churachandpur, too. Tinglonlei Thangluai, its Medical Superintendent, said a mob barged into the hospital around 9 p.m. on March 18 and intimidated the staff.
In the context of communal clashes between Hmars and Zomi (mostly Paite and other kindred tribes), it is pertinent to ask why communal clashes erupted between the tribes who are part of an overarching non-ethnic nomenclature “Kuki-Zo” bringing in different tribes together, which a number of tribes oppose the imposition of Kuki-Zo nomenclature as their identity.
Though generally Thadous are considered belonging to Kuki, Thadou Convention Declaration 2024 states, “Thadou is a distinct ethnic group of people. Thadou is not Kuki, or underneathKuki, or part of Kuki, but a separate, independent entity from Kuki. Any organisation thatincorporates “Thadou” but espouses Kuki and mis-portrays Thadou as Kuki or part of Kuki is illegitimate and does not represent Thadou people interest.”
Thadou tribe bodies like Thadou Community International (TCI), Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) and Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) oppose the imposition of Kuki or Kuki-Zo on other tribes. The Thadous assert their own identity and want to live in coexistence peacefully with other indigenous ethnic groups of Manipur maintaining their distinct identity.
Moreover, on the other hand, three MLAs belonging to Hmar, Paite and Vaiphei tribes of Manipur denounce the “Kuki-Zo” nomenclature and its imposition on their tribes. The three MLAs – Ngursanglur Sanate of Tipaimukh Assembly Constituency, Vungzagin Valte of Thanlon Assembly Constituency and Lallian Mang Khaute (Manipur’s former Director General of Police) of Churachandpur Assembly Constituecy – in their separate press statements issued on August 22 and 23, 2024 have asserted that they want their own tribes to be called by their correct names, instead of being associated only with the term “Kuki-Zo”.
Notably, the three MLAs belong to the seven MLAs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs who have been demanding a “Separate Administration” from Manipur since May 12, 2023 when the violent conflict between the Kuki-Zomi militants and Meiteis that erupted on May 3, 2023 entered second week.
Since the outbreak of the Kuki-Zomi’s violent attack against the Meiteis, the process of unification of different tribes under one nomenclature has been accelerated. Amidst the violent conflict the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs and representatives of the “Zo” ethnic tribes belonging to the Kuki-Zomi-Mizo-Hmar community in Manipur in collaboration with the NGO Coordination Committee in Mizoram agreed to come under one umbrella and formed “Zo United” during a gathering on September 6, 2023 in the hall of the Central Committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) in the southern portion of Aizawl City.
The newly formed common organisation for Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar tribes in Manipur called ‘Zo United’ had constituted its Cabinet at Center YMA Hall at Aizawl on September 20, 2023. The event was led by the Manipur cabinet minister Letpao Haokip and all other Kuki Zomi-Hmar’s MLAs and 48 delegates from the “Zo” descendants in Manipur.
Realistically, the every ethnic groups of Manipur are unique in one way or other and have their own interests and aspirations. More importantly, they also want to live maintaining their own distinct identity. Hmar tribe is also one of them. Amongst the newly formed nomenclature “Kuki-Zo”, there was a violent ethnic clash between the Kukis and Paites in 1997-98 after the Kuki-Naga ethnic clash from 1992-97. Paites are considered to be part of Zomi while the Paites want to maintain their own distinct identity as expressed by MLA Vungzagin Valte in 2024 denouncing imposition of “Kuki-Zo” nomenclature on Paite. There are different interests and aspirations or aged-old rivalries or competitions amongst the ethnic groups. And it is pertinent to ask – has the violent conflict between the Kuki-Zomi militants and Meiteis resulted into other smaller violent communal clash between different ethnic groups like Hmar-Zomi clash?
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
