Kuki-Zo groups mark Separation Day with shutdown, renew call for SA
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, May 03 2026: Thousands of people across Sadar Hills in Kangpokpi district on Sunday observed "Separation Day", marking three years since the outbreak of the Manipur conflict on May 3, 2023 .

The day was marked by a 12-hour total shutdown across the region, with business establishments, private and educational institutions remaining closed, and vehicular movement - barring emergency services - came to a standstill.

The central observance was held at the Martyrs' Cemetery in Phaijang, under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) .

The programme witnessed the gathering of thousands of Kuki-Zo people along with community leaders and representatives of civil society organisations.

Kuki-Zo groups mark Separation Day with shutdown, renew call for SA

The atmosphere remained solemn, with participants united in mourning and a shared call for dignity and peace.

Mourners offered floral tributes at the graves of those who lost their lives in the violence and observed a minute's silence in their memory.

The ceremony also featured a respectful parade and a traditional gun salute by Kuki-Zo volunteers, underscoring collective homage to the deceased.

During the event, CoTU Joint Secretary Lamminlun Singsit read out an eight-point declaration earlier adopted by the Kuki-Zo people, reaffirming their commitment to its demands.

Meanwhile, thousands also gathered at the Moreh Martyrs Complex on Sunday to observe Separation Day - 2026, renewing demands for a separate administrative arrangement for the Kuki-Zo community in strife-tom Manipur.

The programme, held within the KSO Moreh Campus at Ngamkhai Veng in Tengnoupal district, was jointly organised by several key civil society organisations, including the Hill Tribal Council, Kuki Women's Union & Human Rights, Moreh Youth Club, Moreh Pastors Fellowship, Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi, and the Kuki Students' Organization (Moreh Block) .

Leaders of the Moreh Pastors Fellowship led solemn prayers for the community, families of those killed in the violence, and others affected by the prolonged conflict, invoking unity and resilience amid uncertainty.

Participants paid floral tributes at the martyrs' complex and observed moments of silence* in memory of those who lost their lives in the violence, as.

grief and defiance marked the tone of the event.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur also marked the day as Separation Day, reiterating its demand for a Union Territory with legislature under Article 239A.The apex body said the past three years since the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023 have been marked by "untold suffering", alleging systemic discrimination, institutional bias and selective enforcement of law by the state government.

Describing the humanitarian toll as "devastating", the body said thousands of Kuki-Zo people continue to live with trauma, displacement and loss of livelihood, adding that the crisis has severely impacted their social, economic and psychological well-being.