16/08/2025
Kukis can move here and there inside their own territory, whether you recognize or not, whether refugi or not, it doesn't matter. Let's mind our own leikais.
Claims that Manipur’s Kuki tribe are refugees from Myanmar, welcomed to the state by the Congress government in 1968 and now have the upper hand, as they enjoy the Scheduled Tribe status, are being shared widely on social media platforms. Those making these claims have also shared some correspondence between the then-deputy commissioner of Manipur, S.C. Vaish, and the state government under-secretary, Birender Singh, on the “re-settlement of Kuki refugees” in certain areas.
The claims have emerged amid a stormy Monsoon Session of the parliament, wherein opposition leaders criticised the Union government for not addressing ethnic clashes that have erupted in Manipur since 2023 owing to conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The northeastern state saw major violence and uneasy calm after the majoritarian Meitei community demanded their inclusion among the Scheduled Tribes. While this is the most recent trigger, the rift between the Kukis (primarily residing in the hills) and the Meiteis (valley residents) has been widening over decades. At present, Manipur is under President’s rule.
Coming back to the viral claims, on July 29, 2025, a Facebook user (Hiren Hindu) shared two documents claiming that Kukis were refugees who were given shelter in Manipur by Congress in 1968. This user also provocatively suggested that “sheltering Rohingyas and Bangladeshis” will eventually lead to them “occupying your houses, just like they did in Kashmir yesterday and are doing in Manipur today.”
Read more on thewire.in
