The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur has been widely portrayed as a reactionary struggle of marginalised tribal communities seeking justice and recognition within the Indian constitutional framework. However, the persistent effort of certain Chin-Kuki-Zo leaders and organisations to brand the Meitei community as secessionists obscures a far more complex and dangerous reality.

A critical look at historical events and recent developments reveals that it is, in fact, elements within the Kuki-Zo leadership that have historically pursued a separatist agenda with clear links to foreign powers and militant movements.

This dissonance between perception and reality is not accidental. It is the result of a carefully constructed narrative, popularised by influential Kuki intellectuals and civil society leaders who paint their communities as peace-loving victims of state aggression. They often cite the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement as proof of their commitment to non-violence. Yet the origins, actions, and affiliations of groups like the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) tell a very different story—one rooted in the militant separatism of the past and sustained by cross-border loyalties and illegal demographic manoeuvres.

The roots of this secessionist ideology can be traced to the post-independence years through figures like Tunkhopum Baite, a Paite tribal leader born in Chin State, Myanmar. Migrating to Manipur in the 1930s, Baite later spearheaded the formation of the Chin Liberation Army (CLA) in 1962, aimed at unifying Chin tribes across India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh into a sovereign entity. His militant campaign, backed by Pakistan and executed through a series of violent attacks against Indian police........

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