The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has raised strong objections to a fresh incident reported on the evening of December 16 in the sensitive Torbung buffer zone, warning that recent administrative decisions could push the area back towards violence. The council said Torbung, located in Churachandpur district, holds deep and painful significance as the flashpoint of the ethnic unrest that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
In a press statement, the KZC recalled that Torbung was once a mixed settlement of Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities and became the site of the first fatality of the conflict, when Pastor Sekhonohao Kipgen was allegedly beaten to death in public. The council stated that at least 45 Kuki-Zo individuals were killed within the initial two days of the violence, making the area extremely sensitive from both a humanitarian and security perspective.
Against this background, the KZC strongly criticised the Bishnupur Deputy Commissioner’s move to facilitate the resettlement of Meitei internally displaced persons in the Torbung buffer zone. The council described the decision as reckless and inflammatory, arguing that any administration mindful of conflict dynamics would have avoided resettlement in a zone meant to prevent direct confrontation between communities. It cautioned that the move threatens fragile peace mechanisms and could reignite clashes.
The council also referred to earlier incidents during the Sangai Festival, when attempts were allegedly made by Meitei IDPs to enter the buffer zone, terming these actions part of a repeated pattern of provocation. Holding the district administration accountable, the KZC demanded an immediate rollback of the resettlement initiative and said responsibility for any escalation would rest with the Bishnupur Deputy Commissioner.
Questioning the sequence of events leading up to the latest incident, the council pointed to visits by leaders of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) to Meitei IDPs in Torbung Mamang Leikai, followed by a public meeting reportedly organised by Arambai Tenggol, and subsequent firing incidents later that night. According to the KZC, this chain of developments raises serious concerns about intent and coordination.
Reaffirming its position, the council stated that the Kuki-Zo community has consistently shown restraint and adhered to buffer-zone arrangements to avoid further bloodshed. It rejected any narrative that seeks to blame the community for rising tensions, asserting that the current situation has arisen from unilateral administrative actions and violations of agreed protocols.
The KZC also condemned what it called deliberate provocations during the Christmas season, saying such actions were deeply insensitive and aimed at disrupting peace and the spiritual atmosphere of the Kuki-Zo community.
Placing the issue in a broader context, the council maintained that the Manipur crisis is not merely a law-and-order challenge but a political problem rooted in what it described as ethnic cleansing. It reiterated that lasting peace can only be achieved through a political solution and urged the Government of India to recognise what it termed the de facto separation of the Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, once again pressing for a separate administrative arrangement for the community.
