The Manipur Legislative Assembly's seventh session of the 12th term commenced on Thursday, February 5, 2026, in Imphal, marking the first assembly proceedings in the state following the end of President's Rule and the formation of a new government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
The session began with an address by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at around 4 p.m., setting the stage for legislative business after an extended period of suspended animation due to ongoing ethnic tensions.
The resumption, however, was overshadowed by heightened unrest in Kuki-Zo-dominated hill districts. The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex civil society body representing the Kuki-Zo tribes, announced a social boycott against Kuki-Zo MLAs who participated in the formation of the new government.
In a strongly worded statement, the KZC condemned the involvement of these legislators as a "gross violation" of a unanimous resolution adopted earlier (including the Lungthu Resolution on January 13, 2026), which barred participation without written political commitments from the Central and state governments toward a negotiated settlement—specifically, demands for a separate administration or Union Territory with a legislature for Kuki-Zo-majority areas.
The council described the MLAs' actions as a "serious betrayal" of the community's unity, sentiments, and collective political stand, accusing them of aligning with a "Meitei-dominated government" and disregarding the "immense pain and sacrifices" endured amid the ethnic conflict that began in May 2023. It declared the boycott effective across all Kuki-Zo areas, urging the community not to cooperate or associate with the affected MLAs in any social, customary, or public matters. The boycott is to remain in force until the MLAs retract their participation and realign with the community's position.
Reports indicate the boycott targets several Kuki-Zo legislators, including those who took oaths or supported the government, such as Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen (BJP, Kangpokpi) and others like LM Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate (both BJP), who traveled to Imphal for the swearing-in—the first such visit by community MLAs to the capital since the violence erupted.
The announcement coincided with protests, including a dawn-to-dusk total shutdown enforced across Kuki-Zo-inhabited hills, called by groups like the Joint Forum of Seven (JF7). Normal life was disrupted in districts such as Churachandpur, with additional calls for a 12-hour or 24-hour bandh on February 6 in some areas. Demonstrations were also reported outside Manipur Bhawan in New Delhi, and isolated incidents of stone-pelting and arson occurred in protest-hit zones.
The developments highlight deepening divisions in Manipur's ethnic landscape, where Kuki-Zo groups continue to demand separation from the valley-dominated administration amid unresolved grievances from the prolonged conflict. The new government, which includes representation from Kuki-Zo and Naga communities through deputy chief ministers, has been labeled "Meitei-centric" by opposing tribal organizations, raising concerns over its ability to foster reconciliation.
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