Christian tribals seek ‘separation’ in violence-hit Indian state

A Christian-majority tribal group in India’s Manipur state has reiterated its demand for a separate administrative area as it marked the second anniver-sary of the outbreak of ethnic violence between them and the Hindu-majority Meitei people. Kuki-Zo communities observed May 3 as “Separation Day,” marking the start of the unpre-cedented ethnic violence in 2023 that has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced some 60,000 people, mostly Christi-ans. Thousands gathered for a memorial service at the Wall of Remembrance in Kuki-Zo dominated Churachandpur district, where they read the Bible and sang hymns for those lost in the violence. Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), said that the community demands a federally ruled separate territory because “that’s the only option for ensu-ring welfare and justice for the indigenous communities.” He said Kuki-Zo and Meitei people “can no longer coexist” in one state and under the same administration, as people have lost trust in administrative sys-tems involving Meitei people. Violence erupted when Meitei people attacked a Kuki-Zo march protesting a government initiative to classify the Meitei as tribal. This classification would grant the Meitei, an economically and politically influential group, access to benefits from the state’s affir-mative action program designed for weaker sections of society.