IMPHAL, Dec 12: Several Kuki-Zo organisations have voiced sharp resentment over what they termed as the complete omission of Kuki-inhabited Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts from President Droupadi Murmu’s two-day visit to Manipur, which concluded on Friday.

President Murmu, who inaugurated multiple developmental projects in the Naga-dominated Senapati district and attended the Nupi Lal Day ceremony in Imphal, faced criticism for not including stops in areas still reeling from the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and other Kuki bodies said the President’s itinerary “overlooked the suffering, trauma, and unresolved plight” of nearly 50,000 internally displaced Kuki-Zo people still living in relief camps since violence erupted in May 2023. They said even a brief or symbolic visit would have offered much-needed recognition and solace to affected families.

The Zomi Council, representing eight tribal groups, said conflict-hit residents of Churachandpur had hoped the President’s presence would aid in healing and restore confidence in the region’s governance processes.

The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, meanwhile, alleged that the schedule—paying tributes at Nupi Lal memorial in Imphal and inaugurating projects in Naga regions—amounted to “institutionalised erasure” of Kuki-Zo concerns.

Earlier, civil society organisations from Kangpokpi district under the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills announced they would abstain from participating in the President’s welcome programme on Friday. In a joint statement, CSOs including KISH, CoTU, SAHILCA, and Thadou-Inpi expressed dissatisfaction and deep disappointment at the exclusion of Kangpokpi—one of the worst-affected districts during the conflict.

During her visit, President Murmu interacted with members of the Maram tribe, the only Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Manipur, and paid homage to the women-led Nupi Lal uprisings of 1904 and 1939. She described the day as a testament to the power of women’s voices in driving social change.

However, Kuki groups reiterated that without acknowledging the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by displaced families in Kuki-Zo dominated districts, the President’s visit had left a deeply painful void in the community.