Second Round of MHA-Kuki-Zo-Manipur Govt Talks Held in Delhi

Agencies, New Delhi/ Imphal, December 13, 2025: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), along with representatives from Kuki-Zo groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) and officials from the Manipur government, held the second round of tripartite talks in New Delhi on December 12. The discussions revolved around a broad range of issues concerning the Kuki-Zo tribal communities in Manipur, including demands for greater autonomy, land rights, and governance structures in the hill areas.

A.K. Mishra, the MHA’s Adviser for the North-East, led the government delegation, while the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) represented the Kuki-Zo armed groups under the SoO agreement. Both groups issued a joint statement following the meeting, emphasising their demand for the creation of a Union Territory (UT) with a Legislature specifically for the Kuki-Zo tribal people in Manipur.

This demand for a separate administrative unit, initially raised during the first round of talks in November 2025, was met with resistance from the MHA, which had virtually rejected it during the previous discussions. However, the KNO and UPF reiterated their position in the second round, stating that a Union Territory with legislative powers was essential to safeguard the interests of the Kuki-Zo communities. They argued that the establishment of such a territory would provide the necessary authority and neutrality to enact and enforce laws aimed at halting long-standing issues related to the dispossession of tribal land and governance.

The key focus of the recent discussions also centred on land-related issues and governance in the hill areas of Manipur, which are primarily inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes. The UPF and KNO representatives explained that the rights to tribal land in these districts have historically been vested in the tribal village chiefs, following traditional practices. They stressed that this foundational principle of hill governance, which they assert is constitutionally enshrined, is being undermined by modern administrative practices.

The statement further emphasised the breakdown of the social contract between the Kuki-Zo people and the state of Manipur, claiming that the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, was not an isolated incident but the culmination of decades of aggressive land policies and political marginalisation aimed at displacing tribal communities from their ancestral lands.

The two groups also pointed out that the constitutional mechanism in place, particularly Article 371C (which is intended to protect the interests of the tribal people in Manipur), had failed in practice. They argued that the Hill Areas Committee had been repeatedly bypassed and rendered ineffective in both preventing violence and protecting tribal interests, resulting in the current crisis. They further claimed that the state government’s actions and policies had enabled ethnic cleansing of the Kuki-Zo people, particularly in the aftermath of the 2023 violence.

The KNO and UPF’s joint statement declared that reintegration under the current state administrative framework was no longer feasible, and that a separate political solution was the only viable path to achieving peace, stability, and normalcy. They also reiterated that their demand for a Union Territory with a Legislature was not just a political aspiration, but an urgent necessity for ensuring justice, security, and lasting peace for the Kuki-Zo tribes.

Since signing the Suspension of Operations agreement with the Indian government on August 22, 2008, the KNO and UPF, which represent a conglomerate of 23 militant outfits, have maintained ceasefire arrangements and are currently housed in designated camps across Manipur’s hill regions. As of now, approximately 2,266 cadres of these outfits remain in these camps, awaiting a resolution to the broader political and security issues facing their communities.

The government and Kuki-Zo representatives are expected to continue their negotiations in the coming months, as both sides seek a solution that addresses the demands of the tribal groups while ensuring long-term peace and security in the region.