Nagas observing KZC's 'peace' initiative
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 16 2026:
Even though the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has expressed its desire to start a dialogue process with both the Naga and Meitei communities and is reportedly seeking help from the Church authorities of Mizoram to impress upon Naga Church leadership to facilitate a dialogue process toward ending the Kuki-Naga conflict, how fruitful this initiative will be remains a big question.
A key leader of a Kuki civil society organisation recently expressed his desire to The Sangai Express for the Meitei community to don the role of a mediator toward ending the ongoing Kuki-Naga conflict.
The Kuki CSO leader said that the Kuki-Meitei conflict which erupted on May 3, 2023 has subsided and the time is favourable enough for the Meitei community to work toward pacifying the Kuki-Naga conflict.
Sources said that the majority of the Kukis now wish all the communities to forget and forgive the nume- rous incidents of killings, violence and confrontations which took place in the last two/three years, and explore a path toward peaceful coexistence of all the co- mmunities.
It was this desire which drove the KZC to initiate steps toward bringing Kukis, Nagas and Meiteis to a negotiating table, said the sources.
Saying that how fruitful the KZC's peace initiative will be remains a big question, the sources pointed out that the United Naga Council (UNC) has refused to lift the economic blockade it is imposing on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur highway) .
Naga people have already pointed at KNF(P) for the murder of the six Naga hostages in the most barbaric manner after they were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei Kuki village.
The extremely cruel and barbaric nature of the murder of the innocent hostages whose mutilated and dismembered bodies were recovered on June 10 deeply hurt and evoked strongest reprehension not only among Naga people but all sections of people.
Deeply hurt and haunted by the extremely barbaric nature of the innocent hostages, Meitei CSOs have been supporting the UNC's blockade.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the protracted and widespread violence which erupted on May 3, 2023, thousands of houses have been burnt down and tens of thousands displaced from their homes.
A large number of the displaced people have been living a wretched life in congested space with little privacy and dignity.
Given the scale and scope of destruction, the Naga people have been closely observing the KZC's peace initiative.
However, the UNC or no other Naga CSO has received any invitation for dialogue from the KZC or Church leaders so far, said the sources.
Reaffirming its demands for abrogation of SoO agreement with Kuki militant groups, formal declaration of KNF(P) as a terrorist organisation, removal of Nemcha Kipgen from the post of Deputy Chief Minister and arrest of all the people including the chief of Leilon Vaiphei village involved in the brutal murder of the six Naga civilians, the UNC has been refusing to lift its blockade.
Rather the blockade is likely to go on.
Given this uncompromising position of the UNC, the Naga people have been closely watching what proposals the KZC and Church leaders put forward to the UNC and how the dialogue process unfolds, said the sources.
As the flow of goods including essential commodities on NH-2 has ceased on account of the indefinite economic blockade, people in the valley are also suffering a lot.
But Imphal-Jiribam highway and Ukhrul road are open and there is no blockade on these routes.
Even though all sections of people have been suffering equally, there is mutual understanding and synergy among the communities, the sources added.
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