The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) today said that no Kuki-Zo Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) will join the Manipur government under the present situation. The forum said any move in that direction would be seen as a betrayal of the collective will and sacrifices of the Kuki-Zo people.
In a press statement issued after a meeting held on Friday, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum said it had unanimously endorsed the decision of the Kuki-Zo Council that the Kuki-Zo community cannot and should not take part in the formation or functioning of the Government of Manipur at this time.
The forum said the decision was not political in nature but was based on the ground reality faced by the Kuki-Zo people since violence broke out in the state. It said the trust and coexistence that once existed have been badly damaged, making it impossible to continue within the present administrative framework. 
According to the ITLF, the Kuki-Zo community has faced extreme suffering during the ongoing crisis. The statement said many members of the community were killed, attacked, and forced to flee from their homes in Meitei-dominated areas. It claimed that thousands of houses were burned down, places of worship were destroyed or desecrated, and entire villages were emptied due to fear and violence.
The forum further stated that more than 40,000 people from the Kuki-Zo community are still living as internally displaced persons. These families, it said, have lost their homes, land, and sources of livelihood, and many continue to live in relief camps under difficult conditions.
“The violent separation and forced displacement of our people have broken the bond of trust beyond repair,” the statement said. “Under such circumstances, continuing under the present Manipur administrative system is no longer workable.”
The ITLF said that because of this breakdown, the demand for a Separate Administration is no longer a matter of choice but a constitutional and political necessity. It stressed that this demand has been placed formally before the Government of India, and until a political solution is found, participation in the Manipur government makes no sense.
The forum recalled that on May 12, 2023, following what it described as the failure of the Manipur government to protect the Kuki-Zo people, all Kuki-Zo MLAs jointly demanded a Separate Administration from the Centre. That position, it said, remains unchanged even today.
The ITLF made it clear that no Kuki-Zo MLA would be allowed to join the state government under any circumstances. It warned that any individual MLA who chooses to do so would be acting against the collective decision of the community and would be held responsible for betraying the sacrifices made by the people during the conflict.
“This is not about personal ambition or political gain,” the forum said. “This is about the dignity, safety, and future of an entire people who have suffered deeply.”
