Representatives of the Kuki-Zo groups held a second round of tripartite talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Government of Manipur in New Delhi on December 12, reiterating their demand for the creation of a Union Territory with a Legislature for the Kuki-Zo people.
The talks were held under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework and involved delegations from the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF). Senior leaders from both umbrella organisations led the delegations. The Union government was represented by its long-serving Security Advisor for the North East, while a senior official represented the Manipur government
According to the press release issued by the KNO and UPF, the discussions mainly focused on land-related issues and governance in the hill areas of Manipur inhabited by the Kuki-Zo community. The groups told the Centre that tribal land rights in the hill districts have traditionally and historically been vested in village chiefs under customary practices. They alleged that this system has been steadily weakened over the years by policies of the Manipur government. 
During the meeting, the Kuki-Zo groups argued that a Union Territory with a Legislature would provide a clear and constitutionally sound framework to protect their traditional land rights. They said the demand was no longer just about administrative changes but had become an “existential necessity” following developments since May 3, 2023
The groups stated that there has been a complete physical separation of populations since the outbreak of violence in 2023. They also accused the state government of failing to uphold its constitutional duties and claimed that reintegration under the existing state framework was no longer possible. According to them, a separate political arrangement was the only path to restore peace, stability and normalcy.
The KNO and UPF further said that the violence of 2023 was the outcome of decades of what they described as aggressive land policies and political pressure aimed at dispossessing tribal communities of their ancestral land. They argued that a Union Territory administration would have the neutrality and authority needed to prevent further dispossession.
The delegations also raised concerns about what they called a sustained campaign before the violence that branded Kuki-Zo villagers as “encroachers” and “illegal immigrants”. They alleged that such narratives were used to justify eviction drives in hill areas. The groups pointed to executive orders issued in June 2011 that extended the jurisdiction of valley-based police stations into hill subdivisions, claiming this weakened security in Kuki-Zo areas during the 2023 violence
On land administration, the groups alleged that valley sub-registrars illegally registered land deeds for properties located in hill districts. They said this created overlapping jurisdictions in hundreds of villages and violated provisions of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960. According to the KNO and UPF, such actions undermined the authority of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC).
The groups told the Centre that both security and land records should be removed from the control of the Manipur government. They called for a neutral system of policing, transparent governance and accurate land records.
The press release stated that the “social contract” between the Kuki-Zo people and the state of Manipur had broken down. It also claimed that Article 371C, meant to safeguard hill areas, failed in practice as the Hill Areas Committee was repeatedly bypassed.
