{"id":72576,"date":"2025-11-09T10:53:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T05:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=72576"},"modified":"2025-11-10T18:07:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T12:37:26","slug":"kuki-zo-groups-renew-demand-for-union-territory-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/kuki-zo-groups-renew-demand-for-union-territory-status\/","title":{"rendered":"Kuki-Zo Groups Renew Demand for Union Territory Status"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Demand for Union Territory Status Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The long-standing Kuki-Zo <\/span><b>insurgency issue in Manipur<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has resurfaced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the Kuki National Organisation (<\/span><b>KNO<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and the United People\u2019s Front (<\/span><b>UPF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) \u2014 umbrella groups of Kuki-Zo insurgents under the <\/span><b>Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 held talks with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>core demand remains the creation of a Union Territory (UT)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a <\/span><b>legislative assembly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, citing the impossibility of coexistence within Manipur\u2019s administrative structure after the 2023 ethnic violence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Background<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Initial signing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2008 between the MHA, Manipur Government, and Kuki insurgent groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Objective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: To maintain peace and allow dialogue for a political settlement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Periodically renewed, and renegotiated and reinstated (on September 4, 2025) with new terms ensuring &#8211;<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verification of cadres and deportation of foreign nationals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relocation of insurgent camps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inclusion of a new clause \u2014 \u201c<\/span><b>negotiated political settlement within the Constitution of India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reaffirmation of Manipur\u2019s territorial integrity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ethnic violence (May 2023):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Triggered between <\/span><b>Kuki-Zo tribals and Meiteis <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">over land and identity issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resulted in approximately <\/span><b>250 deaths and over 60,000 displaced<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> persons.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This led to the Manipur Government <\/span><b>refusing to extend the SoO pact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (in February 2024), accusing Kuki groups of violating ground rules and instigating violence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Key Developments<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Demands by Kuki-Zo groups:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Creation of a UT <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with Legislature for Kuki-Zo areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Protection of traditional tribal land rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and authority of village chiefs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Simplification of land registration <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and succession procedures, currently centred in Imphal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Recognition of historical autonomy <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of Kuki-Zo hills.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Centre\u2019s response:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A.K. Mishra, North East Advisor to MHA, represented the Government, reiterating Centre\u2019s sensitivity to Kuki-Zo grievances.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><b>But creation of new Union Territories is not current policy.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emphasised consultations with all communities in Manipur for a negotiated political solution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Other issues discussed:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Land, forests, customs, and development in tribal areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confidence-building measures and governance reforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Historical Context and Constitutional Argument<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pre-Independence autonomy:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kuki-Zo hills were not under the Manipur State Durbar <\/span><b>before 1947<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Under British rule<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, these were \u201cExcluded Areas\u201d (Government of India Act, 1935), administered by the British Political Agent, not the Meitei King.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Traditional chiefs managed land<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, justice, and administration independently.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Post-merger integration (1949):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manipur\u2019s merger with India led to <\/span><b>centralised governance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ignoring tribal land tenure systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Compensation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was paid to the Meitei King but not to Kuki-Zo chiefs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SoO groups argue that creating a <\/span><b>UT <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">within India <\/span><b>would restore pre-independence autonomy, not promote secessionism.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional arguments:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Constitution allows Parliament to create UTs under <\/span><b>Article 3<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which gives the central government the power to directly administer these regions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arguments include &#8211;\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Providing direct central government control<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for strategic importance (e.g., Andaman and Nicobar Islands).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Preserving cultural distinctiveness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (e.g., Puducherry, Daman and Diu).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Ensuring better political and administrative management<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in areas with unique challenges (e.g., Delhi, Chandigarh), and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Providing special care <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for backward or tribal areas that are not yet ready for full statehood.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inclusive dialogue<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Continued engagement with both hill and valley communities to ensure lasting peace.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Administrative reforms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Decentralised governance models like Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) could balance tribal autonomy and state integrity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Developmental focus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Prioritise infrastructure, education, and livelihood in tribal areas to reduce alienation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Land tenure reforms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Legal protection of customary land ownership while integrating it within constitutional frameworks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Confidence building<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ensure security, rehabilitation, and justice for victims of ethnic violence to rebuild trust.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The renewed Kuki-Zo demand for a<\/span><b> UT with legislature underscores the deep-rooted ethnic and governance fault lines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Manipur.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the Centre remains firm on <\/span><b>preserving territorial integrity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, sustainable peace in Manipur will depend on <\/span><b>balancing tribal aspirations with the unity and federal structure of India.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/manipur\/manipur-kuki-groups-hold-their-ground-on-union-territory-demand\/article70256188.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The core demand of the Kuki-Zo insurgents &#8211; the creation of a UT with a legislative assembly for Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, recently resurfaced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":72690,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3616,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-72576","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-demand-for-union-territory-status","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}