Nemcha Kipgen’s appointment as deputy chief minister in the Khemchand Singh-led government has exposed intra-ethnic fault lines within the Kuki-Zo group, which has otherwise been at loggerheads with the majority Meiteis since May 2023
On February 4, the swearing-in of Meitei legislator Yumnam Khemchand Singh as the chief minister of Manipur, along with tribal MLAs Nemcha Kipgen (Kuki) and Losi Dikho (Naga) as deputy chief ministers, briefly raised hopes that the reinstated National Democratic Alliance government might help bridge the divide between the state’s hills and valley.
That optimism was short-lived. The following day, clashes between protesters and security forces in Churachandpur left around a dozen people injured, as simmering resentment within the Kuki-Zo community over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kipgen’s decision to join the cabinet hardened into open resistance.
That optimism was short-lived. The following day, clashes between protesters and security forces in Churachandpur left around a dozen people injured, as simmering resentment within the Kuki-Zo community over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kipgen’s decision to join the cabinet hardened into open resistance.