Changing narratives antagonising more people
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 26, 2023 -

FROM playing with the victim card to projecting it as a clash between the tribal and non-tribal groups, and then trying to show it to the world as a case of prosecution against the religiously minority Christians by the majority Hindus, the civil society groups of Kuki-Chin-Zo community have done everything and anything possible to win the sympathy of all in their favour in the ongoing violent conflict between the Meitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin-Zo communities in the northeastern state of Manipur.

Apart from writing to the United Nations Organisation (UNO) and sending despatch to the Prime Minister of Israel seeking help and intervention, they even succeeded in influencing the European Parliament to adopt a resolution in connection with the violence in Manipur.

But all these efforts of the Kuki-Chin-Zo civil societies have failed to advance their cause in any away other than exposing the hollowness of their ever changing false narratives and claims that are based on fabricated stories at every possible forum.

In their desperate attempt to portray themselves as the victim of a "systematic ethnic cleansing on them" carried out by the majority Meitei/Meetei community, the leaders of Kuki-Chin-Zo community conveniently sidelined the events leading to the present crisis, and thought it best not to answer the question why the Tribal Solidarity March carried out on May 3 in hill areas of the state against the demand for granting ST status to the Meitei/Meetei community turned violent only in Kuki inhabited areas.

Just like their constantly changing narratives on the issue centering around the present violent conflict in Manipur which broke out on May 3 last, the demand for a separate administration raised by 10 MLAs of the Kuki-Chin-Zo community within days of outbreak of the violence has now been morphed into a supposed mass movement of the Kuki-Chin-Zo people for creation of a separate state or union territory.

Even before one could fully comprehend the nature and specifics of the demand that was raised in the first place, the demand made by the 10 MLAs for creation of posts similar or equivalent to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) for efficient administration in five districts of the state, namely, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Pherzwal, Chandel and Tengnoupal, which are claimed to be dominated by Kuki-Chin-Zo community, has earned the wrath of as many as nine Naga tribes living in some of these districts.

From all these evolving situations, it is becoming more crystal clear that the demand for a separate administration, or a state or a union territory for the alleged prosecuted people of Kuki-Chin Zo community in Manipur is not going to be an easy one to realise, if not feasible or outrightly impossible.

It has run into so many roadblocks that would be hard to overcome.

While majority Meitei community and the state administration are steadfastly opposed to any attempt to disturb the existing territorial integrity of Manipur, Naga bodies including NSCN (IM), which is pursuing for a solution to the decades-old Naga political issue, have made it clear that not even an inch of Naga territory should be touched in the creation of a separate administrative zone for the Kuki-Chin-Zo community.

It appears that every attempt made by the civil society groups of Kuki-Chin-Zo community and their elected representatives to advance their supposed just cause is only antagonising more and more people and dragging themselves into a pit of quicksand, from which it would be very hard to wriggle out.