The Kuki Students’ Organisation–General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ) has presented a memorandum to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla seeking immediate attention to the challenges confronting Kuki-Zo students and employees at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University–Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM).
Following ethnic violence in Manipur in May 2023, Kuki-Zo individuals have been internally displaced, necessitating their evacuation from the Makhan campus in Kangpokpi district due to safety concerns, yet they continue their studies and work amid difficult conditions. The KSO contends that despite being unable to access the Makhan campus, the university’s administrative operations are being sporadically conducted from Imphal, predominantly favoring non-Kuki-Zo communities, leading to disparities in accessing academic and administrative resources. The organization expressed that this situation is unjustifiable and detracts from IGNTU-RCM’s foundational goal of serving all tribal groups in Manipur equitably. They requested the establishment of a temporary office in Churachandpur to help Kuki-Zo students access academic services and displaced employees fulfill their roles
. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the status of Guest Faculties in the Departments of Tribal Studies and Sociology & Social Anthropology, who have worked since 2013 without permanent recruitment, experiencing exploitation as they remain without full contractual positions or regularization opportunities. The KSO urged urgent intervention from the Governor, warning that inaction could further marginalize displaced individuals and threaten the university’s academic integrity and operations.