Kuki-Zo bodies in Manipur have denounced the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, warning that nearly 59,000 internally displaced Kuki-Zo people risk being excluded. Citing three years of ethnic violence, continuing attacks and mass displacement, they argue door-to-door enumeration is impossible and say proceeding now would undermine democratic representation and the credibility of the entire exercise.
ON THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026, protests ensued in Manipur over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise which is currently underway in the state. The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) — the traditional government of the Kuki-Zo Tribe — has opposed the electoral roll revision exercise and expressed their doubts.
The KIM says that considering the current condition of the state — marred by ethnic violence for the past three years — the SIR exercise is “unacceptable.” It has also raised serious concerns regarding fairness, inclusivity, and administrative responsibility. The organization alleged that the SIR process would result in exclusion of internally displaced people (IDPs).
Internally displaced people are those individuals who have to flee their homes owing to armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations, disasters, or any other threats. However, they remain within their state/country’s territorial boundaries. A report by the Legal Eagle Elite, an Indian law database and legal research platform, says that around 65,0000 from both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have been recognized as IDPs since the ethnic conflict began in Manipur in May 2023.
Conditions in Manipur still remain volatile and shaky, as multiple attacks have rocked the state in the past few months. In April 2026, a missile killed two children in a civilian area. Later in the same month, three people were killed in twin firing incidents in Ukhrul district. Then in early May 2026, three Kuki-Zo church leaders were gunned down which resulted in a hostage crisis as around 44 people were abducted from their homes and held hostage. On June 5, 2026, fresh violence broke out as three civilians were killed and multiple houses were set ablaze in the Kangpokpi district.
In a condition like this, doubts have arisen about how the crucial SIR exercise, which requires door-to-door enumeration, can be accurately carried out.
The Kuki-Zo organization claim that close to 59,000 members of their community have been internally displaced. Before the commencement of the SIR, says the KIM, adequate and practical arrangements should be put in place to address the situation of thousands of Kuki-Zo people who are unable to return to their homes to participate in the SIR exercise.
Proceeding with such a critical electoral and administrative exercise without ensuring the participation of a large and vulnerable section of the population undermines the very principles of democratic representation. The exclusion, whether direct or indirect, of these IDPs from the SIR process renders the exercise incomplete and unacceptable in its present form.Kuki Inpi Manipur's statement
The organization has urged both the central government and local authorities to ensure that immediate and concrete steps are taken to ensure that the IDPs are duly enrolled and are able to participate in the SIR exercise.
See also: Thousands of Women Protest in Manipur, Demand Probe Into Ukhrul Killings and ‘Manipur Tapes’
“Any continuation of the SIR without such provisions would not only be unjust but would also call into question the legitimacy and credibility of the entire exercise,” KIM said.
The Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) had raised similar concerns beforehand. On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the organization said that many displaced Kuki-Zo members are currently sheltered in Mizoram, Meghalaya, and other states.
“SIR exercise is built around house-to-house enumeration by booth level officers, who visit each elector's residence to distribute, collect and verify enumeration forms before the cut-off date of June 29. For a displaced elector whose home has been destroyed, who cannot safely return to the area of his or her booth, and who is recorded at a relief camp in a different district — or in another State — the ordinary house-to-house mechanism does not operate as designed,” KOHUR said.
The Election Commission of India has commenced the third and final phase of the electoral roll revision exercise. In the three north-eastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim, the exercise commenced last week on May 30, 2026.
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