Zomi Students’ Federation Plea for Intervention to Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi
During the visit made by the newly elected Opposition leader to Lamka last Monday, the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF), General Headquarters submitted a memorandum addressing their grievances and pressing concerns. The memorandum highlights the dire conditions and systemic alienation faced by the Zomi-Kuki community in State’s run institutions and politics, calling for the opposition leader's support in the demand for Separate Administration under the Constitutional framework.
The Leader of Opposition's visit to the district after winning his election has been welcomed with gratitude, and is seen as a sign of deep concern for the people. The Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency was won by a Congress Candidate Shri Alfred Arthur. The Congress secured most of their vote from Lamka, which propelled them to win the seat by beating the Naga People Front (NPF) candidate by 85,418 votes.
The Memorandum submitted today highlighted the conditions of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at relief camps. Till date essential necessities such as food, water, and medical facilities are inadequate in Relief Camps with no means for the IDPs to earn their living which could support their children with education. Many of the School-going IDPs in the Hill Districts are attending schools without textbooks, and hundreds of displaced children are either out of school or receiving substandard education. Parents with children in private schools face immense financial burdens without government support. Additionally, many young students have lost important educational documents in the violence, leaving their academic futures in jeopardy.
The plight of the students has been exacerbated with the CBSE disaffiliation of 25 private schools in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts last December hindering hopes for quality education and national integration. Moreover, appearing in government job examinations are becoming unaffordable as the aspirant candidates are being forced to travel to distant cities like Aizawl, Guwahati and other neighbouring states to appear for exams with a high cost of expenditure for travelling and lodging. The Government of Manipur was also compelled to provide a sum of ₹9000 for travelling expenses to aspiring candidates in the recently held Civil Service Examination, 2024. This direction came after a series of petitions filed by the Zomi Students’ Federation before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
The memorandum also highlighted the acute shortage of medical facilities in the Hill Districts. The only medical college in the region, Churachandpur Medical College (CMC), is operating on a hybrid model, with most functions moved to Imphal. The temporary campus remains nearly defunct, and construction at the site has halted since June 2023. The district hospital remains plagued by a lack of medicines, staff, and overworked personnel though the High Court of Manipur directed the State of Manipur to fill up the vacant sanctioned post in 2022.
The memorandum further highlighted the discontinuation of the inter-state helicopter services between Churachandpur and Aizawl. The service operation was only actualised after the Supreme Court directed the State of Manipur to enable such transport in response to a petition filed by the Zomi Students’ Federation last year. Despite repeated requests from all quarters for resumption, there has been no positive response till date.
The memorandum calls for the leader of the opposition party intervention to address these critical issues and support the cause for Separate Administration in the parliament and within his capacity. The projection of the state's situation as merely a law and order problem stems from a lack of understanding the ground realities to ensure a sustainable peaceful resolution, stated the ZSF Memorandum.
The Manipur Violence since 3rd May 2023 has racially targeted the body and properties of the Zomi - Kuki tribal community in Imphal Valley and in the periphery of the Valley Districts. The violence has continued till today in the form of genocide to the hopes, dreams and future prospects of the youths. They were cut off from gaining quality education, equal job opportunities and proper medical facilities, hindering an all round development in the hill districts to be on par with the valley districts. The state has shown not only a lackadaisical attitude in solving the impasses and in securing justice for the affected victims but has instead become the very entity that has become the pawn of the Majoritarian community to suppress the minority Zomi-Kuki community voices in every possible way available.
With the Zomi-Kuki communities feeling the Authorities at the State as compromised, the burden to end the deeply divided State lies on the Centre leadership, from the Opposition and the ruling party. It is high time that the Centre leadership consider the matter seriously and uphold the constitutional mandate to ensure the rights and Justice for its citizens in the State of Manipur divided as Outer Manipur and Inner Manipur in the Parliamentary Constituencies. It is at this crucial time, the citizens see a manifestation of the values enshrined in the Constitution preamble i.e. Justice, Liberty and Equality .