In a shocking display of open provocation, Paojakhup Guite, the self-styled leader of the so-called “People’s Movement for Separate Administration” and current President of KSO Delhi, has stirred communal tensions by publicly inciting violence against members of the Meetei community.
Using a loudspeaker in a public place, Guite called on the Kuki community to “not spare any Meetei man or woman” who crosses into Kuki-dominated areas en route to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district.
The video of his hate-filled address has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage.
Guite’s statement directly contradicts the spirit of the Shirui Lily Festival, an event long seen as a symbol of Meetei-Tangkhul unity. Ironically, while he acknowledged the festival as a gesture of brotherhood, he went on to openly endorse hate crimes against Meetei participants, exposing the hypocrisy and danger of his politics.
This is not an isolated incident. Just days earlier, a similar threat was issued by the so-called Kuki Zo Village Volunteers Eastern Zone, though it was subsequently nullified by the Kuki Zo Council, which distanced itself from such violent rhetoric.
Guite, however, continues to escalate tensions through his “People’s Movement Campaign,” a signature campaign reportedly underway in several Kuki-dominated areas since May 15.
Adding to the controversy, the Kuki Intellectual Forum, Songpi District, endorsed Guite’s divisive stance through a public release signed by its General Secretary, Mark T. Kuki. This development only deepens the concern over growing extremism being normalized in some quarters under the guise of community leadership.
Paojakhup Guite’s public incitement to violence is not just irresponsible. It is criminal. That he did so brazenly, in an open public space with a loudspeaker, shows the alarming confidence of someone who does not fear accountability.
In a region already scarred by ethnic strife, leaders should be building bridges, not calling for blood. The people of Manipur deserve peace, not more fear.
