BJP state president Adhikarimayom Sharda Devi on Thursday said the Center was strongly committed to protecting the territorial integrity of the state and would not accept the Kuki-Zo groups’ demand for separate administration in Manipur.
Devi, who is also a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, was addressing an induction program of former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Jaijongdin Panmi from Tamanglong Assembly constituency in Tamenglong district as a core member of the party.
The program was held at Thambal Changlin (Head Office of State Party), Nityaipat Chutik, Imphal.
Davy said that since 2023, due to ongoing ethnic violence, development in the state has temporarily halted. However, violence and hostility between communities cannot help achieve Manipur’s ‘Fixit Bharat 2047’ goal, which is part of the central government’s vision for a developed India.
“On several occasions, the state has faced issues of territorial boundaries and safety, but the central leaders have already taken their stand to protect the territorial and integral boundaries of Manipur; the demand for ‘separate administration’ within Manipur will never be met,” Devi said.
Meanwhile, the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators, including seven BJP legislators, have demanded “separate administration” within Manipur in the form of a union territory with a legislature.
The application was first made publicly by 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including late BJP legislator Phongsajin Valti from the Zomi community in Thanlone Assembly constituency, on May 12, 2023, just a few days after the conflict broke out. They have reiterated their demand on multiple occasions, including submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Valte was seriously injured after he was assaulted by a mob in Imphal on May 4, 2023. After about three years of treatment, he died on February 21, 2026. His funeral was held on July 4 at the request of his family, although his body was not accepted and was kept in the mortuary of Churachandpur District Hospital to press the demand for “separate administration”.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before encompassing almost all communities. The state’s Meite and Kuki Zo communities have remained separated in their-dominated areas since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, killing at least 260 people and displacing 60,000.
The Metis people, most of whom are Hindu, live largely in the Imphal Valley. The Kuki family, most of whom are Christians, reside in the hills. The state government confirmed that there are no buffer zones dividing communities in the state, although it has identified some sensitive areas.
In February, a new government was formed, almost a year after “presidential rule” was imposed. It includes representatives of the three main communities as part of an attempt to maintain ethnic balance.
