New Delhi: Kuki women threaten to stay away from LS polls

New Delhi : Kuki-Zomi-Hmar women living in and outside strife-hit Manipur have “decided” to boycott the Lok Sabha elections.

The decision was conveyed to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday in a joint petition signed by 18 women representatives, including social activists, human rights defenders and academics.

“This decision does not come lightly, but as a culmination of their disillusionment and lack of trust in the current administrations, both at the national and state levels,” the petition said, listing eight reasons that prompted them to take the step. Topping the list of reasons is the “absence of justice for the ethnic cleansing” that has resulted in the displacement of over 41,425 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar people from Imphal, along with the “lack of prosecution” for the rape and murder of more than 20 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar women and 167 confirmed deaths in total thus far has “perpetuated an environment where impunity prevails”.

Mary Grace Zou, convener of Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum Delhi and one of the signatories to the petition, told The Telegraph: “We the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar women community think boycotting the upcoming polls is the only way to remind the world about our sufferings since May 3, 2023.”

Mary said: We have a reason to make noise that the world’s largest democratic country has failed the minority Kuki-Zo tribals of Manipur.”

She added: “The demographic separation with the Meiteis is complete and the way forward for peace is total separate administration for the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribals under Article 3 of the Constitution. The decision to boycott the polls within and outside Manipur was taken on March 25.”

The ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo people has left at least 219 dead and over 67,000 displaced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to visit the state.