Churachandpur/Kangpokpi, May 3, 2026: The Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities in Manipur observed the third anniversary of the May 3, 2023 violence as “Separation Day” in several districts of the state on Saturday, holding memorial programmes, prayers, and protests to remember those who lost their lives during the ethnic conflict.
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| People gather at the Community Hall, Peace Ground, Tuibuong in Churachandpur district during the observance of “Separation Day” marking the third anniversary of the May 3, 2023 Manipur violence. |
In Churachandpur, the programme was organised by the Indigenous Tribals Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) at the Community Hall, Peace Ground, Tuibuong, where a large number of people gathered to mark the occasion.
A parallel programme titled “Commemoration of Martyrs’ Day” was organised by the Zomi Council at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Sehken under the theme “Honouring & Remembering the Sacrifices of our Fallen Heroes.” The event included tributes to the departed, speeches by family members of Pu (L) Vungzagin Valte, a former minister who was among those killed during the violence, as well as addresses by Pu L. M. Khaute, MLA, and Pu Vumsuan Naulak, Chairman of the Zomi Council. Mass prayers and wreath-laying ceremonies were also held.
In Kangpokpi district, the observance took place at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Phaijang, organised by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Kuki leadership, including representatives of tribal bodies, church leaders, student organisations, women’s groups and intellectuals, gathered to pay homage to those killed in the conflict.
CoTU described the programme as both a solemn remembrance and a political message, honouring what it called “fallen heroes who defended their land against encroachment.” The organisation said the observance aimed to highlight what it described as the growing separation between Kuki communities and the Meitei population amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
Similar observances were also held at the Moreh Martyrs Complex at the KSO Moreh Campus in Tengnoupal district, as well as in Jiribam and other locations, with reports of programmes organised even in metropolitan cities outside the state.
Meanwhile, a mass protest was staged at Jantar Mantar by the Kuki Students’ Organisation (Delhi & NCR), where demonstrators raised slogans demanding justice and accountability for the violence. Protesters carried placards highlighting what they described as “three years of violence” and called for action from authorities.
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The Committee on Tribal Unity also announced a 12-hour shutdown of National Highway-2 across Kangpokpi district as part of the observance.
However, the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) appealed for the day to be observed as “Manipur Peace Day”, urging people to mark the anniversary through prayer, unity and reconciliation. The organisation opposed calls for “Separation Day” and stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence among communities. It also reiterated that Thadou is a distinct ethnic identity and not part of the broader Kuki identity, calling for independent representation.
