Churachandpur, July 4, 2025: The Federal Council of 4 (FC04), comprising the Kuki Reformation Forum (KReF), the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC-GHQ), the Thadou Tribe Council (TTC-GHQ), and the Kuki Youth Forum (KYF), issued a strong rejoinder on Thursday in response to a letter from the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum Manipur (IPFM), Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), the Meitei Alliance (MA), and the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC). The FC04’s statement is addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and rejects demands to revoke the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki armed groups.
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| Rep.Image: File Photo |
The rejoinder squarely blames the Manipur State Government for orchestrating what it calls a premeditated and politically motivated crisis in the state, which escalated into ethnic violence in February 2023. It points to the formation of Arambai Tenggol units in Meitei localities since 2022 and the forced eviction of Kuki communities from government land as part of a broader campaign of communal governance. The FC04 accused the government of systematically targeting Kukis, demolishing Kuki churches, and failing to prevent arson attacks, forced displacements, and destruction of places of worship.
They further allege that over 200 Kuki villages and 254 churches were destroyed and 226 Kuki civilians, mostly women, were killed, out of a total 365 victims. The FC04 also states that around 6,000 arms and 6 lakh rounds of ammunition were handed over to radicals, allegedly from the Manipur State Armoury, with state police and commandos openly assisting Meitei mobs in several areas.
In direct response to the claims made by IPFM, TIM, MA, and FNCC that the SoO groups are responsible for the ongoing law and order crisis, FC04 asserted that SoO groups operate under legal and constitutional protection granted by the Government of India since 2008. The Council clarified that these groups work in coordination with central security forces such as the AR, BSF, CRPF, and Para Military Regiments, with full intelligence sharing with national agencies including the MHA, NIA, and CBI.
Refuting what it termed a “malicious rumour” about Kuki militants raping a Meitei nurse in Churachandpur, the FC04 noted that even the victim’s family dismissed the allegation. It accused the opposing groups of spreading falsehoods to demonize the Kuki population and justify anti-Kuki violence.
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Calling out what it described as the “anti-Kuki movement”, the FC04 condemned IPFM, TIM, MA, and FNCC for attempting to interfere with the peace framework and blamed them for communalizing the crisis. The rejoinder concluded by urging the Ministry of Home Affairs not to act on misinformation and to uphold the SoO agreement, which they insist remains vital for peace and security in the region.
