UPF critiques Shambhu's statement
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 14 2013 :
Reacting to the statement of Sambhu Singh, Joint Secy (MHA), North East in-charge, on the issue of the Kukis' political demand, parti-cularly the assertion that the NE states are already tiny states and it is hard to even entertain the idea of carving out new states from the existing one, the UPF, an umbrella organization of eight Kuki revolutionary groups contended that there are no hard and fast rules/condi-tions to create new state based on population, resources and others but the necessity of socio-political and economic environment and people's concerned are to be counted which are more important than all other issues.
In line with what Sambhu Singh had stated, the UPF modified "our political goal and the outcome was the pre-sent charter of demands sub- mitted to the Govt.under the name Autonomous Hills State (AHS) under Article 244(A) of the Indian constitution which is a state within a state not affecting the existing boundary of the state" .
It is a legitimate one which is also in conformity with the SoO agreement.
However, if this legitimate demand is neglected for long, the future course of action would be dif-ferent, UPF said in a release issued by its information and publicity in-charge C Robinson Thadou.
The Kukis are nationalistic and patriotic like any other Indian.
They are neither secessionists nor sectionists and they are not rebelling for the sake of rebellion but they are demanding what is legitimate and due to them.
"Our demand will affect neither the state nor the Centre Govts or anybody else", it claimed.
"Kukis have been serving this country and we have been serving it in the past too even before we became part of the Indian union" .
"The Anglo-Kuki war of 1917 -1919 and INA movement during the Second World War were our standing testimony of serving this country.
History is the witness.
We have fought the British colonial power singularly for more than 2 years and then we joined hands with the Japanese in response to the call of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as part of Indian National Army (INA) to free our mother land from foreign control", it said.
In this way, Kukis have suffered a lot in the freedom struggle but the worst came after India got independence.
"Much against our wishes and interest, we (Kukis) are now scattered and divided into two sovereign states �India and Myanmar." Of late, the circumstances compelled Kukis to start a political movement but as a peace loving citizens, UPF signed the tripartite SoO agreement with the Centre and State Govt in 2008 with the hope that "our legitimate demand is considered' .
But the sign of open negligence on the part of the Govt towards the political issue sent a very surprising signal to the outfit.
"If this is the real intention of the Govt, we would be compelled to chalk out our own line of plan and action in near future.
If our patience is tested too much, we may have no option left", it said.
It further decried that no political dialogue is being initiated even after almost 6 years has gone.
On the 3rd January this year Sambhu Singh, as a representative of the Centre Govt, assured that political interlocutor would be appointed very soon and the political dialogue will begin within the next couple of months.
But the same promise still remains unfulfilled, it added.