Tribal leaders from the Kuki, Zomi, Mizo, and Hmar in India have formally agreed to come under the Zo United umbrella term on September 7 in Aizawl City's Young Mizo Association (YMA) central committee hall.
The event was led by Mizoram's NGO Coordination Committee, featuring various Mizo ethnic tribe-based groups. According to the statement made by the alliance, stronger united is necessary to protect their people and territories from alleged militant outfits against them.
They said the "Zo United" was established to bolster cooperation among Mizo organisations and associations. The leadership of the new body will be chosen prior to September 20, and it is expected to involve representatives from the Inpi/Inpui (apex body), Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), and Hill Tribal Council (HTC).
In line with this, the Joint Inpi Council (JIC) and the Coordination Committee on Separate Administration in Manipur (CORSAM) were abolished, effective immediately.
Representatives from 16 different Manipur hill tribes, including six members of parliament (featuring two state ministers), were present during this gathering.
The urgent formation of the alliance occurred after the ethnic Kuki-Zo people of Manipur state were attacked by the majority of Meitei people, with allegedly the backing of the state's government.
Several historians, notably renowned scholar Vum Son, have argued that the term "Zo" is the original name for several tribes such as Zomi, Mizo, and Kuki. However, these tribes are typically referred to by outsiders using different names like Chin or Thadou. He urged in his book "Zo History" that those tribal groups refer to themselves as Zo.
The term "Zo" has been a subject of controversy within the Chin-ethnic community in Myanmar, as well as among the Paite and Mizo communities in India.
