Valley of death of own creation
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 19, 2023 -

IN tune with their earlier representation demanding a separate administration for the Kuki-Chin-Zo people in the tiny northeastern state of Manipur, which has been vehemently objected to by the state administration and opposed by people of other communities; the 10 Kuki-Chin-Zo legislators have petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking creation of posts similar or equivalent to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) for the efficient administration in five districts of the state, namely Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Tengnoupal, and Pherzawl, which are inhabited by people belonging to the Kuki-Chin-Zo community.

They have also urged for sanctioning Rs 500 crore from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for "proper" rehabilitation of the Kuki-Chin-Zo people who have been affected by the violent clashes that broke out between Meitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin-Zo communities since the evening of May 3.

In support of their demand for creation of posts similar or equivalent to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) for the efficient administration of the five districts inhabited by Kuki-Chin-Zo people, the 10 Kuki-Chin-Zo legislators, which include seven from the ruling BjP, asserted that "As Imphal has become a valley of death and destruction for the Kuki-Zo people, no one dares to go back to Imphal, where important offices including the state Secretariat and other important Government offices and institutions, are located..., in order to solve the problems faced by the Government employees belonging to the Kuki Zo tribals and for the efficient administration of the districts inhabited by us, the post of Chief Secretary or its equivalent and the post of DGP or its equivalent need to be immediately created".

As elected representatives of the Kuki-Chin-Zo people in the Manipur Legislative Assembly; the 10 Kuki-Chin-Zo legislators have every right to raise issue and make demand in the interest of the people who elevated them to their present position.

In fact, it is their bounden duty and responsibility, and they have under oath to do so.

But, leaving aside the question of feasibility of the demand being raised, what is interesting here is their audacity to stick to blatant lies and continue to play with the victim card by shutting tight their eyes and ears from looking at the whole picture and listening to what the whole world is saying today.

Let's not forget the undeniable fact that the current violent conflict in Manipur has been started by the people of Kuki-Chin-Zo community, and not by the Meitei/Meetei people.

It is the people from within Kuki-Chin-Zo community who first lit the flame of communal hatred by targeting unsuspected Meitei/Meetei people and burnt down their houses in Churachandpur district, before it soon spread to places dominated by people of Kuki-Chin-Zo community like Kangpokpi and Moreh on that fateful day of May 3.

So, the question of people of Kuki-Chin-Zo community becoming the victim of a "systematic ethnic cleansing" carried out by the Meitei/Meetei people does not arise at all.

As a matter of fact, the Meitei/Meetei people in Imphal have only reacted, rather strongly, and given a befitting reply to the senseless acts of aggression perpetrated by people of Kuki-Chin-Zo community.

If at all Imphal has today become a valley of death and destruction for the people of Kuki-Chin-Zo community, as claimed by the 10 Kuki-Chin-Zo legislators; then it is a valley of death and destruction of their own creation and no other community should be blamed for that.

Period.