Kuki-Zos are right to be disillusioned, but boycotting elections only endorses the status quo

As the Lok Sabha elections approach, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum in Manipur has ordered politicians from the Kuki-Zomi community not to contest. As a consequence, no candidates from the community have signed up to contest from the Outer Manipur constituency, where Kuki-Zomis are concentrated.

When it comes to voting, some citizens stay away from the polls because they are apathetic. Some people express their discontentment and anger with governance issues by organising protests or boycotts. But the Kuki-Zomi community’s disillusionment with the state government has another basis: they have lost their voice and no one is listening to them.

Since the violence in the state began in May 2023 between the dominant Meitei community and the Kuki-Zomi minority, more than 200 people have been killed and over 60,000 displaced from their homes.

The Kuki-Zomi still constitute a sizeable presence in a few districts, but have been displaced violently from Manipur’s capital, Imphal, which is controlled by Meiteis. It has become too dangerous for Kuki-Zomis to set foot into Imphal – even if they are MLAs. As a result, the 10 Kuki-Zomi legislators in the house of 60, even those from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, can no longer participate in legislative proceedings. In addition, Kuki–Zomi...

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