A national tribal organisation has moved the highest constitutional office in the country, seeking a meeting between President Droupadi Murmu and a delegation representing the Kuki community of Manipur, as the ethnic crisis in the state continues without a political or humanitarian resolution.
The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) has formally written to the President, requesting time for a Kuki delegation to place before her what it described as the serious constitutional and humanitarian concerns arising from the violence in Manipur since May 2023. The letter was sent on January 16.
In its communication, the organisation said the situation in Manipur’s hill areas reflects a prolonged breakdown of constitutional safeguards meant to protect Scheduled Tribe communities. It stated that normal institutional mechanisms have failed to ensure security, dignity, and equal rights for the affected people. 
The proposed delegation, according to the letter, would include all ten elected Members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from the hill areas, who are also members of the Hill Areas Committee constituted under Article 371C of the Constitution. Representatives of recognised Kuki civil society organisations and leaders of Kuki armed groups currently under the Suspension of Operations arrangement with the Government of India may also be part of the delegation.
ABAVP said the delegation intends to submit a joint representation focusing on both constitutional issues and the humanitarian impact of the violence. The organisation stressed that the request is not political in nature but seeks a constitutional hearing to inform the President about the legal, institutional, and human suffering faced by the Kuki-Zo community.
In the letter, ABAVP National President (Youth) Luckybhau Jadhav said the organisation considers it its duty to facilitate dialogue for indigenous communities when existing systems fail to protect life and equality. He added that the delegation would maintain restraint and decorum during the proposed meeting and would seek guidance strictly within the framework of the Constitution.
The organisation also referred to its earlier interventions on Manipur-related issues, including objections to what it described as intimidation of Kuki leaders and memorandums submitted to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry on displacement and insecurity in the state.
The request comes at a time when Kuki-Zo groups are intensifying their demand for a separate administrative arrangement for the hill districts of Manipur. These groups argue that ongoing ethnic tensions and repeated incidents of violence make it impossible to return to the pre-conflict situation.
The violence that began on May 3, 2023, has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced thousands of people. Several Kuki-Zo organisations have demanded a Union Territory arrangement under constitutional provisions, citing continued fear and lack of trust in existing governance structures.
Earlier this month, large rallies were held by Kuki-Zo groups to press their demand, and memorandums have been submitted to the Union Home Ministry seeking early political dialogue.
