Kuki-Zo organisations have resented the "omission" of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts from the itinerary of President Droupadi Murmu's two-day visit to Manipur, which concluded on Friday (December 12, 2025).
The Committee on Tribal Unity and other Kuki groups said the President's visit "completely overlooked the suffering, trauma, and unresolved plight" of the internally displaced Kuki-Zo people. They said even a symbolic acknowledgement of the situation would have mattered for some 50,000 Kuki-Zo people, who continue to stay miserably in relief camps since the ethnic conflict with the Meitei people broke out in May 2023.
President Droupadi Murmu pays floral tributes at Nupi Lal memorial in Manipur's Imphal
The Zomi Council, the apex body of eight Manipur tribes, said the conflict-scarred tribal people in Churachandpur had looked forward to Ms. Murmu's visit, which could have contributed to healing the sufferings of the people of the State.
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust said the President's itinerary, "celebrating Meitei historical resistance in Imphal and inaugurating projects in Naga areas", was akin to an institutionalised erasure of Kuki-Zo people.
The President began the second day of her Manipur visit by paying homage to the State's women warriors who fought against British colonial forces, during a ceremony marking the 86th Nupi Lal Day. Nupi Lal refers to two women-led uprisings (1904 and 1939) in which Manipuri women resisted British colonial policies and asserted their rights and dignity.
"The day stands as a defining example of the strength of women's voices in bringing about positive social change," she said.
Later in the day, she attended a public function at Senapati, the headquarters of a Naga-dominated district, where she also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for various developmental projects. "Dignity, security, and growth opportunities for the tribal communities of Manipur and their greater participation in the country's progress are a national priority," she said.
The President said that the Centre was working closely with local leaders, civil society, and communities to ensure that development in Manipur was inclusive and sustainable. "The government is giving special attention to the development of remote tribal regions," she said, pointing out that the State's strength lies in its cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity.
"The hills and the (Imphal) Valley have always complemented each other, like two sides of the same beautiful land," she said, urging all communities to continue supporting the efforts for peace, understanding, and reconciliation.