Call for dialogue between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups amid fragile peace in Manipur

By A Representative 

The recent extension of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between Kuki National Organisation and United Peoples Front, both Kuki-Zo organisations, and the Government of India has drawn mixed responses in Manipur. Signed on September 4, 2025, the agreement continues an arrangement first reached in 2008, requiring Kuki militants to remain in designated camps with their arms locked, while receiving government stipends.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity has opposed the extension, arguing that it compromises the interests of the Meitei community. The debate comes against the backdrop of the violence that began on May 3, 2023, during which armouries were looted by Meitei groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun. Nearly 6,000 police weapons were taken, of which about half have since been recovered, largely after President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025.

Observers have cautioned that the selective approach to disarmament could prolong instability. They note that if one group is permitted to retain arms, even under supervision, tensions are unlikely to subside. Calls have therefore been made for both Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups to completely disarm, with police and security forces taking full responsibility for the safety of all communities, including Nagas.

The larger concern remains the absence of dialogue between the two sides. “What the Prime Minister cannot achieve, Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups can achieve by talking to each other,” said activist-academic Sandeep Pandey and general secretary, Socialist Party (India), pointing out that no joint meetings of legislators from both communities have taken place since May 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Manipur soon, his first in more than two years, with plans to highlight the reopening of National Highway No. 2 connecting Dimapur and Imphal. However, restrictions remain in practice: Meitei passengers are unable to travel through Kangpokpi, a Kuki-Zo controlled area, while Kuki-Zo citizens cannot enter Imphal. 

Analysts argue that lasting peace depends not on infrastructure projects but on removing buffer zones and restoring free travel with the mutual consent of both communities.