A Kuki group has warned members of the Meitei community against passing by their villages while going to a district in northern Manipur where the state-level Shirui Lily Festival 2025 is scheduled to be held from May 20 to 24.
The festival, being promoted by the state government, celebrates the rare, endangered state flower Shirui Lily that grows in the hills of Ukhrul district, the home of Tangkhul Naga tribe and other Naga communities.
The group 'Kuki Zo Village Volunteer - Eastern Zone' in a statement gave their best wishes for the festival, and offered support to the Naga tribes; however, it said it will not allow Meiteis to pass through Kuki villages that are located on the way to Ukhrul district.
The Kuki group in its statement on May 11 warning members of the Meitei community said, "We strongly advise all members of the Meitei community to refrain from entering or crossing our areas at any time. Any violation of this direction will be considered intentional, and individuals shall bear full responsibility for any consequences that may follow."
The warning came while Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh went to Ukhrul for two days to oversee security arrangements ahead of the Shirui Lily Festival.
Manipur is under the President's rule.
The group 'Kuki Zo Village Volunteer - Eastern Zone' does not share the same name as the 'Village Volunteers Eastern Zone', or VVEZ.
While the VVEZ has not given a statement on the Shirui Lily Festival, earlier on March 8, the deadline set by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to surrender illegally held and looted weapons, the VVEZ published a video statement - seven of its masked members in camouflage and carrying AK series and other assault rifles - asserting they will not lay down arms until their demand for a separate administration was met.
The Manipur State Transport has announced bus service timings from the state capital Imphal to Ukhrul from May 20 to 24 for those who want to visit the picturesque hill town popular with tourists.
The Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN (IM), responding to the Kuki group's May 11 statement threatening members of the Meitei community who may visit Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily Festival, said it will "not tolerate if KZVV-EZ make any wild attempt to disturb the streaming tourists targeting any particular community travelling to Ukhrul/Shirui village."
The NSCN (IM) said the festival also serves as a platform for raising awareness about environmental conservation and cultural heritage of the Tangkhul Naga and other Naga communities. The NSCN (IM) signed a framework agreement with the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to work towards bringing peace in Nagaland.
Tangkhul Naga social worker Asang Kashar condemned the warning by the Kuki group.
"This is directly a challenge to every citizen of Manipur and shows they (Kukis) are against peace," Mr Kashar said.
The Naga and the Kuki tribes have fought in the 90s; hundreds including women and children were killed.
The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 260 have died and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.
