The Shongthu Chate

The forthcoming Lok Sabha election will be held in Manipur under extraordinary circumstances due to the state-sponsored ethnic violence that plagues the state since May 3, 2023. In more than ten months, the state government has done literally nothing to diffuse the tension between the two warring communities. Even the third party, the Nagas, continue to maintain their “neutral” position with an aim to reap maximum political benefits, including this Lok Sabha election. For the Kukis, it is a test of their strength whether they will be able to survived such an ethnic cleansing pogrom, or surrender to the majoritarian state whose sole intention is to annihilate the minority communities and usurp their lands and properties. Under such circumstances, it is imperative for the minority Kukis to take extreme care in deciding whom to vote for, as their existence as a community will largely depend on the outcome of this election. So far, the intending candidates from the Kuki community have list

It’s been more than ten months since N. Biren Singh’s government launched the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign against the minority Kuki-Zo tribals on May 3, 2023. Yet, there is no respite as violence continues unabated. Even though gunfights between the two warring ethnic groups subsides a little in the last few weeks thanks to the central forces reigning-in on the Meitei terrorists including the Arambai Tenggols and the UNLF (Pambei faction) in the Valley, tension continues to simmer. However, though the ethnic war saw no sign of ending soon, election mood began to appear in some corners of Imphal. Despite various Meitei pressure groups demanding to first end the current violence before initiating process for elections, intending candidates and their workers apparently began ground work. In fact, few names have emerged in the social media as probable candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. As in the valley, the Naga areas in the hills begun to feel the wind of democr