1947 Records Highlight Kuki-Zo Role in Manipur Constitution

Lamka, June 27, 2026: A historical archival document dated September 17, 1947, has been cited to counter claims portraying the Kuki-Zo people as "refugees" or "outsiders," highlighting their participation in the formation of Manipur's constitutional framework before India's Independence.

According to the document, which contains the distribution list of the first Manipur Constitution Making Committee, six prominent Kuki-Zo leaders were members or advisers of the committee that helped shape the constitutional future of the erstwhile princely state.

The Kuki-Zo representatives listed in the document are:

Pu Tiankham Paite, B.A., C.O. – Member

Pu K. Teba Kilong – Member

Pu Thangkhopao Kipgen, B.A., C.O. – Member

Pu Dr. Kampu Gangte – Adviser

Pu Thangkhai – Adviser

Pu S.L. Lunneh, President of the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) – Adviser

Supporters of the document argue that the archival record demonstrates the long-standing political and constitutional participation of the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur. They contend that these leaders were among those who contributed to laying the constitutional foundation of the state, decades before the present-day debate over the community's identity and status.

The document has been presented as historical evidence to challenge narratives that describe the Kuki-Zo people as recent settlers, asserting instead that the community has played an integral role in Manipur's political history and governance.

~ ITLF Media