On Thursday, a Meitei civil society organisation said it would proceed with its planned peace march from Imphal to Senapati district on March 8, along with other like-minded organisations.     

Federation of Civil Society (FOCS) president Th. Manihar told reporters, “We appreciate Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement allowing the free movement of all people on all roads in Manipur from March 8. In line with this, we are proceeding with our peace march to convey a message of harmony, not to provoke anyone.”

     Acknowledging opposition from three Kuki organisations, Manihar urged them to support the march instead.

    “Three Kuki organisations have objected to our proposed march. We appeal to them to join us in this effort for peace. The march is also a way to see if the Centre stands by its commitment to allowing free movement,” he said.

 The march is set to begin at 8 am from Kangla Gate and will proceed to the Senapati district. FOCS has also planned another march to the border town of Moreh in the near future.

     Manihar claimed that organisations like the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) have not opposed the march and called on them to support this gesture of peace.    

The march from Imphal to Senapati will pass through Kangpokpi district, which is predominantly Kuki-inhabited.

  The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has issued a condemnation of plans by the Federations of Civil Society (FOC) to march into hill districts inhabited by the Kuki-Zo community, describing it as a “blatant breach” of established buffer zones.

 According to the committee, these buffer zones represent a crucial deterrent against violence from what they term “secessionist Meitei militias.” Any compromise of these arrangements could potentially reignite regional conflict, the committee warned.

 Kuki-Zo leadership has also rejected the “free movement” proposal supported by Home Minister Amit Shah and communicated by the Manipur Governor. The committee characterised this proposal as misrepresenting ground realities and perpetuating “radical Meitei narratives.”

 The tribal committee denied accusations of deliberately blocking essential supplies along National Highway 2, which passes through Kuki-Zo areas. They clarified that any disruptions were temporary measures intended to highlight what they describe as the valley’s failure to reciprocate humanitarian efforts.

Describing the FOC’s planned march as a “dangerous provocation,” the committee urged the Governor not to yield to what they call “majoritarian Meitei narrative” with “secessionist ambitions.”

 The statement concluded with a reiteration of the Kuki-Zo community’s demand for separate administration under Article 239A of the Constitution and called for immediate protective measures for India’s northeastern frontier.