Kuki-Zo MLAs attend Manipur Assembly in person for first time since 2023 violence

In a significant development amid Manipur’s prolonged ethnic conflict, two Kuki-Zo legislators attended the Manipur Legislative Assembly session in person on Wednesday for the first time in more than three years, signalling a tentative step towards political engagement between communities divided by the violence.

The eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly began in Imphal on Wednesday, with Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen and Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing physically present in the House.

Their return to the assembly comes more than three years after ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on 3 May, 2023. Since then, most Kuki-Zo legislators have largely stayed away from assembly proceedings in Imphal and have rarely travelled to the valley.

As he entered the Assembly complex, Kipgen said he was happy to return after a long gap.

Deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen, another Kuki-Zo legislator, joined the proceedings virtually.

Chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh welcomed the physical presence of the two legislators, describing it as a positive development that could contribute to rebuilding trust and promoting peace.

“This is a good sign from the people’s representatives, and it is a welcome step,” the chief minister said.

Khemchand Singh said collective efforts by all sections of society would be necessary for Manipur to move towards peace and reconciliation. He also credited his government’s continued efforts to address outstanding issues and bridge the trust deficit between communities.

The chief minister reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusive dialogue, reconciliation and restoring lasting peace and normalcy in the violence-hit state.

The development follows the formation of the new BJP-led government under Khemchand Singh on 4 February 2026. Since the new government took office, some Kuki-Zo MLAs had participated in assembly proceedings virtually, but Wednesday marked the first time in more than three years that Kuki-Zo legislators physically attended a session in Imphal.

The return of the two MLAs came despite a directive issued by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body representing the Kuki tribal community.

On 31 August, the KIM had asked all Kuki-Zo MLAs not to travel to Imphal for the Assembly session until a political settlement was reached on the community’s demand for a separate administration.

The organisation argued that attending the assembly while the community’s core political demand remained unresolved would conflict with the collective position and aspirations of the Kuki-Zo people.

“There can be no return to business as usual without a political solution,” the KIM said in its directive.

The organisation urged Kuki-Zo legislators to demonstrate political responsibility and remain aligned with what it described as the mandate and aspirations of the community.

Kuki-Zo organisations have been seeking a separate political administration for the tribal areas of Manipur, including a Union Territory with a legislature.

The community has 10 legislators in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. Among them are deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen and six other BJP MLAs.

The political demand has remained at the centre of the Kuki-Zo community’s position since the outbreak of violence in May 2023.

The conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has resulted in extensive displacement, loss of lives and a deep political and social divide between the hills and the Imphal Valley.

For more than three years, the absence of most Kuki-Zo legislators from the assembly’s physical proceedings has reflected the wider breakdown in political and community engagement following the violence.

The presence of Kipgen and Hangshing in the assembly therefore carries significance beyond the proceedings of a single session. Their physical return to Imphal could offer a limited opening for political engagement at a time when efforts to rebuild trust and restore normalcy remain a major challenge for the state government.

However, the KIM’s opposition and the continued demand for a separate administration underline the considerable political hurdles that remain.

Wednesday’s development does not resolve the underlying dispute, but the return of the two legislators to the assembly marks a notable departure from the political stand-off that has kept most Kuki-Zo representatives away from the House since the 2023 violence.

With IANS inputs