The danger of Zalengam dream
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 25, 2023 -

FROM opposing the demand of recognising the Meitei/Meetei as Scheduled Tribe to demanding a separate administration, which was first raised by 10 sitting MLAs from Kuki-Chin community within days of outbreak of the current humanitarian crisis in Manipur on May 3 evening last.

And, from demanding creation of a Kuki state or union territory under Article 3 of the Constitution of India to launching a global campaign for initiating "creation of a country for the Kukis by integrating all Kuki-Chin territories of Chin state (Myanmar/Burma), Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh) and Mizoram (India) and Kuki hills in Outer Manipur" in accordance to GA Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India, 1904, Volume 3, Part-Ill and under United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Right to self-determination, Autonomy, Self-Governance and Indigenous Institutions", the demand of the Kuki-Chin people is only becoming bigger by the day.

With this, it is also becoming clearer that the current conflict between the Meeitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin communities, the first spark of which was lit in Churachandpur district on May 3 evening where Meitei/Meeteis were attacked and their houses burnt down following a Tribal Solidarity March organised by ATSUM in protest against the directive given by the High Court of Manipur to the Government of Manipur for sending recommendation to the Centre for recognition of the Meetei/Meetei as ST, is just a ruse devised by the leaders of Kuki-Chin community to attain their ultimate dream of 'Zalengam' or the "Land of Freedom".

This has been reinforced by the fact that the Tribal Solidarity March which was taken out simultaneously in all the hill districts turned violent only in Churachandpur district before it soon spread to other Kuki-Chin dominated places, forcing the Meitei/Meetei to retaliate.

The strenuous effort being made by the Kuki-Chin leaders to realise their Zalengam dream by internationalising the current humanitarian crisis in Manipur at every possible forum is well-known to all today.

From sending despatches to the President of USA and the Prime Minister of Israel seeking intervention to petitioning the United Nations, they had even succeeded in influencing the Parliament of European Union to adopt a resolution in connection with the violence in Manipur, which the Government of India had already denounced as undue interference in the "internal matter" of the country.

The Government of India had also rejected the recent comments made by a team of United Nations experts on the alleged "inadequate humanitarian response to the grave humanitarian situation in Manipur following the latest round of community conflict between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the predominantly Christian Kuki ethnic communities."

What is really disturbing in all these efforts made by the Kuki-Chin leaders is the blatant manner in which facts are being twisted to propagate a one-sided narrative of the minority Christian Kuki-Chin people being allegedly prosecuted by the majority Hindu Meitei/Meetei people, which is far removed from the reality on the ground.

This shows the ever-increasing danger of Zalengam dream.

Amidst this, a viral video clip has emerged wherein Lien Gangte, the chief of North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA), is seen speaking canvassing support for the cause of Kuki-Chin people inside a Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

It is the same Gurudwara where the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) Hardeep Singh Nijjar had lived and worked till he was shot dead by masked armed men in the evening of June 18,2023.

What does this say?

A lot more than the gullible people on both sides of the clash divide who are baying for each other's blood could ever possibly understand in their lifetime.