Kuki groups bar Meiteis from Thangjing Hills, warn against buffer-zone breach

Imphal, April 10: The Kuki civil society organisations have issued a strong warning to the Meitei community against attempting to climb Thangjing Hills this April, asserting that any such act would be treated as a “direct challenge” to the Kuki-Zo people and will not be tolerated in the absence of a political settlement with the Government of India.

In a joint press release issued by at least six Kuki organisations, including Kuki Inpi Churachandpur and Kuki Students' Organisation Churachandpur, the groups cautioned against crossing the buffer zone demarcated between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.

The Thangjing Hills, considered sacred by the Meitei community, fall within the Churachandpur district, an area that the Kuki groups claim as under their jurisdiction.

The joint press release

“There is speculation that the Meitei community intends to cross the buffer zone for Chinga Kaba at Thangting Hills in the month of April,” the release read.

The Kuki groups further stressed that until a political settlement is achieved between the Kuki-Zo community and the Centre, no “friendly approach or pilgrimage by the Meiteis" will be allowed in Kuki-inhabited areas.

The organisations further urged the government to uphold law and order and ensure the safety of both communities by maintaining the current status quo in the buffer zones. “Each community must respect the buffer zone. Any intention to cross will be opposed tooth and nail,” the statement said.

The warning comes at a time when tensions remain high in the region following last year's ethnic clashes, which had prompted Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take direct charge of administration in the hill districts in June 2023.

Meanwhile, curfew in the tribal inhabited Churachandpur district was relaxed for over 16 hours on Thursday.

Churachandpur’s District Magistrate Dharun Kumar S in a notification said that the “curfew imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, prohibiting unlawful movement and assembly of persons outside their respective residences, is hereby amended on April 10 in order to facilitate access to essential items and services for the public of Churachandpur District, particularly in the town areas. Due to the improvement of the law and order situation, the prohibitory order was relaxed.”

Curfew was imposed in parts of Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Wednesday in view of tension over hoisting community flags in a "disputed area" between two villages inhabited by different tribes.

Tension erupted between Zomi and Hmar tribes on Tuesday after community flags were raised in the "disputed area" between V Munhoih and Rengkai villages in the Churachandpur sub-division.

(With inputs from agencies)