Threats to Gorkhas a part of Kuki expansionism: MMTU
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 30 2025: The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has asserted that the threatening of Nepali Gorkhas by the Sadar Hills Chiefs Association (SAHILCA) is a part of Kuki expansionism.

Under this policy of expansionism, Kukis who migrated from Myanmar have been pursuing a campaign of driving out indigenous communities and assimilating smaller communities into their fold, said a press release issued by MMTU .

After settling in the hill areas of Manipur, Kuki-Zo people who migrated from Myanmar have been conspiring to create an exclusive country of their own by breaking Manipur and some neighbouring States and country.

In pursuit of this objective, Kukis have been forcibly assimilating smaller communities into their fold and setting up a number of new villages.

They have also brought several Panchayat segments of the valley under District Council by hook and crook.

Those who objected to this forced assimilation were subjected to harassment, threats, physical assaults and torture.

For refusing to toe the line of Kukis, L Moses Kom of Kangathei was assaulted in 2022, Kom Union president Serto Ahao Kom of Khoirentak in 2023, social activist Ahom Kom in 2024, Dr Thangmeilen Kom of Kangathei in 2024 and Konsakhul village chief Aimson Liangmei on April 5, 2025 .

The Kukis have been vigorously pursuing a campaign of driving out all other communities from Kangpokpi district and they are developing Kangpokpi as a new place of settlement for Kuki immigrants from Myanmar, the MMTU asserted.

Kukis have also added several areas of the valley to hill districts through deceitful and dubious means.

Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal which were sub-divisions of the valley districts, were merged with hill districts in 1972.As many as 29 villages of Jiribam were merged with Churachandpur in two phases in 1969 and 1979.Earlier, 42 villages of Thoubal district were separated from the valley and merged with Churachandpur district in 1953.The Zilla Parishad segments of Charhajar, Kalapahar etc were brought under District Council in 2012.Thus the valley areas have been shrinking day by day, it said.

Meanwhile, the immigrant population has been growing alarmingly in the hill areas of Manipur.

Now, the demography of Kamjong district has been threatened by immigrant Kukis.

Around 2500 unauthorised Kuki villages were set up in Manipur during the last couple of years, the MMTU said.

It said that one major factor contributing to the alarming growth of Kuki people who immigrated from Myanmar after 1884 is Kuki chieftainship under which every son of a village chief is made the chief of a village.

Even though the Government of Manipur declared abolition of Kuki chieftainship in 1967, the same system is still in force, it said.

Even though there was not a single Kuki at Moreh before 1962, all the Kabui and Tangkhul villages of Moreh were wiped out after the Naga-Kuki clash of 1993.This was made possible by the Government of India's Free Movement Regime under which people from either side of the international border can move 40 Kms into the other country's territory, the MMTU said.

Another major factor which contributed to the alarming growth of the immigrant Kuki population was the scrapping of Foreigners' Pass Act in 1951.The Thadou population in Manipur was only 54,467 in 1981 but it multiplied to 1,21,994 as per the 1991 census.

The growth rate was 116 per cent.

Likewise, the population of the Hmar community is growing at an alarming rate in Jiribam due to incessant immigration.

The MMTU then called upon all the indigenous people to come together and fight collectively against the growing challenges posed by the immigrant population.

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