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Kuki-Zo MLAs Return to Manipur Assembly Amid KIM Boycott Directive
Two Kuki-Zo MLAs attended the Manipur Assembly in person for the first time since ethnic violence erupted in 2023, a move the chief minister welcomed as a positive step. The visit came despite a directive from the Kuki Inpi Manipur urging all Kuki-Zo lawmakers to stay away until a political settlement is reached.
By Tertius News AI Desk3 distinct · 4 mastheads · 4 articlesVersion 2Coverage Published
Two legislators from the Kuki-Zo community attended the Manipur Legislative Assembly in Imphal on Wednesday, marking their first in-person appearance in more than three years. The session, the eighth of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, began with Haokholet Kipgen, MLA from Saitu, and Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, MLA from Saikul, physically present for the first sitting. Both lawmakers are from Kangpokpi district, according to officials.
The return came despite a directive from the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki community, which on August 31 asked all Kuki-Zo MLAs not to travel to Imphal for the session pending a political settlement on the community's demand for a separate administration. In a statement, the KIM said the resumption of legislative proceedings should not be treated as a return to normalcy and warned that those who ignored the directive would be seen as moving away from the community's collective political position. "At this critical juncture, the Kuki-Zo MLAs must stand firmly with their people," the organisation said, adding that there can be no return to "business as usual" without a political settlement.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh welcomed the attendance as a positive step toward unity and peace. "This is a good sign from the people's representatives, and it is a welcome step," he said, attributing the development to the state government's persistent efforts to address issues and reduce the trust deficit among communities. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen attended the session virtually, according to officials.
The Kuki-Zo community has 10 legislators in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, including seven from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Deputy Chief Minister Kipgen, as per one account. Another report says Manipur currently has nine Kuki, Zomi and Hmar MLAs. In February, six Kuki-Zo MLAs attended the Budget session virtually.
The ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis began on May 3, 2023. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the conflict, according to officials. The Kill, the community has suffered since the ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023.
The session is scheduled to continue until September 7, with three sittings planned, according to the KIM statement.
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Framing: The headline emphasizes the historic first-time attendance of Kuki MLAs at the Manipur Assembly session since the ethnic strife began
Facts Included:
Kuki MLAs Kimneo Haokip Hangshing and Haokholet Kipgen attended the Manipur Assembly session in Imphal on Wednesday for the first time since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023
Their attendance came despite a Kuki Inpi Manipur directive against travelling to Imphal
Manipur currently has nine Kuki, Zomi and Hmar MLAs
Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing of Kuki Peoples' Alliance (KPA) and Independent legislator Haokholet Kipgen of Saitu seat attended the first day of the session
Both the MLAs are from Kangpokpi district
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kukis, directed all MLAs from the community not to travel to Meitei-majority Imphal to attend the assembly session scheduled to begin on Wednesday, pending a political settlement on the Kuki-Zo demand for a separate administration
In February, six Kuki-Zo MLAs attended the Budget session of the Manipur Assembly virtually
More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May 2023
Framing: Zo MLAs attend Manipur Assembly session for first time in three years after conflict
Facts Included:
Two legislators from the Kuki-Zo community attended the Manipur Legislative Assembly session in person on Wednesday for the first time in more than three years.
The eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly commenced in Imphal on Wednesday.
Haokholet Kipgen, MLA from the Saitu Assembly Constituency,and Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, MLA from the Saikul Assembly Constituency, were physically present during the first sitting of the session.
The Kuki-Zo MLAs had not physically participated in the Assembly proceedings in Imphal fora gap of more than three years.
Haokholet Kipgen said that he was happy to return to attend the Assembly session after a long time.
Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen attended the session in virtual mode.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh welcomed the development, describing it as a positive step towards fostering unity and peace in the state.
Khemchand Singh attributed the development to the state government's persistent efforts to address issues and reduce the trust deficit among the various communities.
Khemchand Singh reiterated his administration's commitment to inclusive dialogue, reconciliationand restoration of lasting peace and normalcy in the violence-hit state.
Following the formation of the new BJP government under the leadership of Chief Minister Khemchand Singh on February 4, 2026, a few Kuki-Zo MLAs had participated in previous Assembly sittings through the virtual mode.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), an apex body of the Kuki tribal community,had on August 31 issued a firm directive to all Kuki-Zo MLAs, asking them not to travel to Imphal to attend the eighth session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly pending a political settlement of the Kuki-Zo people's demand for Separate Administration.
The KIM said that the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assemblyat a time when the fundamental political question concerning the future of the Kuki-Zo people remained unresolved would be inconsistent with the collective political position and aspirations of the Kuki-Zo people.
The KIM said that there can be no return to business as usual without a political solution.
The KIM called upon every Kuki-Zo MLA to demonstrate political responsibility, solidarityand fidelity to the mandateand aspirations of the people they represent by strictly adhering to the directive.
The Kuki-Zo organisations have been demanding a union territory with a legislature for the tribal people in Manipur as part of their demand for a separate political administration.
The community has 10 legislators in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, including Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgenand six other BJP MLAs.
Since ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May ̈, ̧2023,a majority of the MLAs belonging to the tribal community have been boycotting Assembly sessionsand have rarely visited the Imphal Valley region.
Framing: The headline emphasizes the historical first attendance of Kuki MLAs at the Manipur Assembly session since the ethnic strife began
Facts Included:
Kuki MLAs attended a session of the Manipur Assembly in Imphal for the first time since ethnic strife erupted in the state over three years ago
Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing of Kuki Peoples’ Alliance (KPA) and Independent legislator Haokholet Kipgen of Saitu seat attended the first day of the session
Both the MLAs are from Kangpokpi district
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kukis, directed all MLAs from the community not to travel to Meitei-majority Imphal to attend the assembly session scheduled to begin on Wednesday, pending a political settlement on the Kuki-Zo demand for a separate administration
In February, six Kuki-Zo MLAs attended the Budget session of the Manipur Assembly virtually
Manipur currently has nine Kuki, Zomi and Hmar MLAs
More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May 2023
AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimKuki MLAs Kimneo Haokip Hangshing and Haokholet Kipgen attended the Manipur Assembly session in Imphal on Wednesday for the first time since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023.
ClaimSaikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing of Kuki Peoples' Alliance (KPA) and Independent legislator Haokholet Kipgen of Saitu seat attended the first day of the session.
ClaimKuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kukis, directed all MLAs from the community not to travel to Meitei-majority Imphal to attend the assembly session scheduled to begin on Wednesday, pending a political settlement on the Kuki-Zo demand for a separate administration.
ClaimMore than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May 2023.
ClaimTwo legislators from the Kuki-Zo community attended the Manipur Legislative Assembly session in person on Wednesday for the first time in more than three years.
ClaimThe Kuki-Zo organisations have been demanding a union territory with a legislature for the tribal people in Manipur as part of their demand for a separate political administration.
ClaimThe community has 10 legislators in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, including Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgenand six other BJP MLAs.
ClaimSince ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3,2023,a majority of the MLAs belonging to the tribal community have been boycotting Assembly sessionsand have rarely visited the Imphal Valley region.
ClaimThe KIM, in a statement on Tuesday (September 1, 2026), said the resumption of legislative proceedings should not be treated as a return to normalcy, as the community's demand for a separate political administration remained unresolved.
ClaimThe KIM said that there can be no return to "business as usual" without a political settlement for the community that has suffered since the ethnic conflict in Manipur erupted in May 2023.
ClaimThe KIM said that the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assemblyat a time when the fundamental political question concerning the future of the Kuki-Zo people remained unresolved would be inconsistent with the collective political position and aspirations of the Kuki-Zo people.
ClaimThe KIM, on August31, issued a firm directive to all Kuki-Zo MLAs, asking them not to travel to Imphal to attend the eighth session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly pending a political settlement of the Kuki-Zo people's demand for Separate Administration.
ClaimFollowing the formation of the new BJP government under the leadership of Chief Minister Khemchand Singh on February4, 2026, a few Kuki-Zo MLAs had participated in previous Assembly sittings through the virtual mode.
ClaimKhemchand Singh attributed the development to the state government's persistent efforts to address issues and reduce the trust deficit among the various communities.
ClaimKhemchand Singh reiterated his administration's commitment to inclusive dialogue, reconciliationand restoration of lasting peace and normalcy in the violence-hit state.