This conflict involved two ethnic groups in Churachandpur district in Manipur, India, the Paite and the Thadou language speaking Kuki, who had been displaced from further north in Manipur. Local Paite prefer to call themselves "Zomi" rather than "Kuki", while local Thadous prefer to call themselves "Kuki"; either name can apply to either group. (See Mizo peoples#Name.) Lasting from June 1997 to October 1998 it also drew in smaller ethnic groups and by the end "over 50 villages were destroyed and some 13 000 people were displaced." According to official records kept by the Government of Manipur, the communal violence claimed the lives of 352 persons, injured 136 and reduced 4,670 homes to ash. The majority moved to areas surrounding the district capital of Churachandpur and Mizoram, where they were housed in makeshift refugee centres in schools, hospitals and various other buildings. Several hundred soldiers of the Indian Army were moved into Churachandpur with the purpose of ensuring the safety of people belonging to all communities caught in the violence and to restoring order. This was not successful, however, and outbreaks of violence continued until the church brokered a ceasefire in October 1998.
By 1997, a group of minor tribes (including the Hmar, Zou, Vaiphei, Gangte, Simte and Zomi) led by the Paite and originally named "The Seven Tribes" had been renamed the Zomi Reunification Organization, or 'ZRO, with a militant wing named the "Zomi Revolutionary Army" (ZRA). Taxation demands by the KNF, tension over the use of the Zomi nomenclature which the KNF saw as a move against the Kuki as well as a belief that the Paite were supporting the Naga, "enemies" of the Kuki, all escalated into violence.
The immediate cause of the Kuki tribe–Paite tribe conflict was the June 24, 1997 Saikul incident when extremists from the Kuki National Front (President), a Kuki insurgent group, lined up twenty villagers and shot at them, killing nine and wounding four.
Peace Process
The first agreement of peace was initiated by dignitaries from Mizoram Peace Mission, namely, Pu C. Chawngkunga, Pu H. Zathuam and Pu F. Lawmkima which was signed by both representatives of the KNF(P) and the ZRO, at Mata Dam in Churachandpur on July 8, 1997. However, this agreement was broken by the KNF(P) militants who invaded Mata village on July 10, 1997.
Peace workers re-organised a forum for re-affirming the hard-sought peace agreement, and brought the warring camps to another negotiation parley on July 18, 1997 wherein previous peace agreement was duly re-affirmed. However, that too, was aborted by the KNF (P) by deliberate acts of aggression on the villages of Leijangphai, Tallian and Savaipaih in which thirteen houses were burnt down.
As a token of customary apology for the murder of ten innocent persons and the injuring of four persons on the night of 24 June 1997, at Saikul Village by the KNF thereby dragging the two communities into conflict, the Kuki Inpi offered a feast by killing a four-legged animal, a bull (Bongchal), on 29 September 1998. In a very cordial atmosphere and mutual trust, the feast was happily shared together by leaders of the Kuki Inpi and the Zomi Council. In response to the good gesture shown by the Kuki Inpi, the Zomi Council showed their goodness and love for peace in the form of killing another four-legged animal, a pig (Vohchal), the following day, 30 September 1998, which was happily shared together by leaders from both communities.
Agreement: Both the parties agreed upon the following points:-
1. That, the nomenclatures Kuki and Zomi shall be mutually respected by all Zomis and Kukis. Every individual or group of persons shall be at liberty to call himself or themselves by any name, and the nomenclature KUKI and ZOMI shall not in any way be imposed upon any person or group against his/their will at any point of time.
2. That, any person who has occupied or has physical possession of any land/private building/houses and quarters wrongfully and illegally during the period of clashes shall return and restore to the rightful owners, such lands and buildings.
3. That, no Kuki or Zomi militant shall indulge themselves in any forcible collection of funds, taxes etc., against their counterpart nomenclature be it from the Government Officials, individuals, contractors, and business establishments.
4. That, all points of MoUs between the Kuki Inpi and the Zomi Council shall be operative and binding to all concerned persons and parties including the government.
Signed this 1 October 1998 on behalf of Kukis and Zomis respectively.
Sd/- (Albert Gen Goukhup Mate) President, Kuki Inpi Churachandpur
Sd/- (K. Vungzalian) Chairman, Zomi Council