Guwahati: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has issued a statement calling for urgent intervention from the central government to address the escalating violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur.
The statement, released on Sunday warned that the violence, which has already claimed numerous lives and displaced thousands, will not stop until action is taken to rein in alleged Meitei extremist factions.
According to the ITLF, the Kuki-Zo community has been left with little choice but to arm themselves in self-defense against continued attacks by militants. “The Kuki-Zo have no choice but to arm themselves. We are fighting to protect our homes, our families, and our very existence,” the statement read. Tribal volunteers, particularly in the more affected areas, have begun organizing to safeguard their land and families, with many fearing that further attacks will push the region toward an even more dangerous escalation, it said.
The statement highlighted that these attacks, which are seen as systematic efforts to displace tribal communities from their ancestral lands, have left the Kuki-Zo feeling increasingly vulnerable. “We will not sit idly by while our people are slaughtered,” the ITLF warned.
The ITLF also pointed to the continued presence and activities of alleged armed Meitei groups in the Imphal Valley, calling for immediate action from the central government. The forum holds that the violence is largely driven by the actions of Meitei extremists, who have been targeting tribal populations. “Until the armed Meitei groups are reined in, the violence in this state will not stop,” the ITLF statement asserts.
The forum urged the government to take swift and decisive action to dismantle these groups, warning that continued inaction will only prolong the suffering of the tribal people. “The central government needs to act immediately to halt these attacks and restore peace,” it said.
While the ITLF stressed the need for an immediate halt to the violence, it also called for a long-term political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict. “Once the attacks on tribal people stop, the violence will dissipate,” the statement reads, urging both the state and central governments to work toward a political resolution that ensures the safety and rights of the indigenous tribes.
The ITLF also warned of the growing risk that the Kuki-Zo community may be forced to retaliate if the attacks continue. “If the central government does not act soon, we may have no choice but to retaliate with greater force,” the forum cautioned, noting that many families have already lost loved ones and livelihoods in the violence. “The violence must stop before it spirals into a full-scale civil conflict,” the statement emphasized.
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