Churachandpur, July 15, 2025: In a significant development aimed at fostering tribal unity and regional connectivity, the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) has issued a heartfelt public appeal urging all concerned parties to allow the construction of the Kangpokpi-Churachandpur Connectivity Road through Khoirok/Dolang Khunou Chiru Village.
Addressed to the Chief and villagers of Khoirok, the Ministry of Kilo Affairs (NSCN-IM), and leading Naga civil bodies including the Eastern Liangmai Naga Chief/Chairman Association (ELNCCA), Rongmei Naga Council Manipur (RNCM), and the Manipur Naga Youth Organisation (MNYO), the appeal calls for a “free rein” for the road construction to pass through the Chiru settlement on humanitarian and tribal fraternity grounds.
The letter, signed by Samuel T. Zou, General Secretary, and Dr. TS Haokip, President of WKZIC, references biblical teachings to stress the need for peace, cooperation, and reconciliation among tribal communities. Quoting Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and Matthew 7:7-8, the authors frame the appeal in moral and spiritual terms, positioning the call as a step toward healing past grievances and promoting inter-tribal harmony.
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The road, which is intended to connect Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, is seen by the Kuki-Zo community as a critical lifeline, especially after the ethnic violence and road blockades that followed the Tribal Solidarity March on May 3, 2023, jointly organised by the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) and the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO-GHQ).
WKZIC acknowledged recent public objections by Naga organisations, including ELNCCA, RNCM, and MNYO, which have expressed reservations about the road’s alignment through Chiru village - a group described by scholars such as Prof. Gangmumei Kamei as “culturally and by blood Kuki, politically Naga.”
“We appeal to allow the Chiru people - who share both Kuki and Naga heritage - to become agents of unity and fraternity,” the WKZIC leaders wrote. “Let this road become the foundation for Kuki-Naga reconciliation, built on mutual respect and Christian brotherhood.”
The appeal closes with a call to transcend past grievances and move forward together, as in the united stand against marginalisation in 2023. The WKZIC hopes this gesture will help turn a historically contested path into a symbol of solidarity and cooperation among Manipur's tribal communities.
