Kuki bodies petition PM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 31 2013: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and Kuki Organisation for Human Rights have once again implored the Prime Minister to first settle the NSCN (IM) criminal acts against murdering of 900 Kukis, uprooting 360 Kuki villages and displacing thousands of Kukis before the Govt reaches any agreement with the NSCN (IM) .

The reminder to the PM is made following a news report which appeared in this paper on July 26 wherein a highly placed source was quoted to have said that the State Government was put under strong pressure by the Ministry of Home Affairs to give positive feedbacks and response on certain matters related to the Government of India's quest for a solution to the vexed Naga issue.

The open memorandum of the KIM and KOHR recalled several memoranda that had been submitted to four Prime Ministers of India urging settlement of the NSCN (IM) crime against the Kukis in a proper Court of law and restoration of law and order so as to enable performance of the last rite of those 900 innocent people murdered according to the Kukis' traditional practice of the burial rite, and over the two decades mourning come to a close.

"Without settling the matter, the age old Kuki customary law of burial rite cannot be performed and therefore, the Government of India is repeatedly requested to settle the crimes against Kukis before any agreement is made with the culprits," the open memorandum said.

Many memoranda submitted to the former Prime Ministers to perform the last burial rites for 900 people butchered have not been replied, except the incumbent PM giving his assurance vide letter dated Dec 15, 2011 and that of the Union Home Minister's letter of March 21, 2013, which gave them hope for settlement of 900 Kuki butchered, 360 village uprooted, and 100,000 people made refugees in their own land by NSCN (I-M), before any possible agreement made with NSCN(I-M), it said.

Expressing surprise over the report that appeared in this paper on July 26, the Kuki apex bodies said, "If the report was true which vividly signifies that the PM has not only ignored over 60 memoranda submitted to him and to the five consecutive Prime Ministers, Union Ministers (Home) even to the Presidents of India, the Prime Minister has ignored his own promise" .

The KIM and KOHR brought to the notice of the PM that the Kukis are the people who stood firmly for all indigenous people of the present so-called North East India against the British might, and saved the whole land by sacrificing thousands of lives and many leaders imprisoned in several prisons in India and abroad.

The war remains unsettled till date.

"Kukis hate violence of any form but want peace restored through the Law of the land" it added.

Appealing the PM to settle the case before any possible agreement is made with NSCN (I-M), the Kuki bodies asserted that any settlement that negates the rights of other cannot be accepted while also pointing out that a settlement for one particular community should not be the beginning of problem for other communities living with it.

Any settlement should be in line with peaceful coexistence to all people living in the North East India from time immemorial.

Lest the settlement possibly be made will become the epicentre of social disharmony, which may cause a Civil War much worse than the present chaotic situation in the whole NE India and the rights of all indigenous people must be equally respected, it stated.

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