KSO rebuts IPAK's claim
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 16 2015 :
Taking strong exception to the statement of Sapamcha Jadumani, president of Indigenous People"s Association of Kangleipak (IPAK) which maintained that the 8 lakh non-local population comprises Myanmarese Kukis, Bangladesh Muslims and Nepali Nationals, the Kuki Students' Organisation, General Headquarters (KSO Ghqs) said that Jadumani's view which equates the Kukis with Muslims and Nepalis is sinister and uncalled for.
For Kukis wherever they are, are also indigenous people for whom the ILPS was promulgated in the first place, a statement issued by Seiboi Haokip, general secretary of KSO (Ghqs) said.
As far as Kukis are concerned, there are no such people as Myanmarese Kukis because all the Kukis whichever country they may be are one and the same, dwelling in their own ancestral lands.
So it is not justified to term Kukis of Myanmar as migrants and to identify them by the name of a country is a misnomer, Seiboi said.
"Besides, there are no Kukis coming here from Myanmar to stay here, as claimed by some people, because no Kuki from Myanmar has ever felt the need to come here to stay as they have homes in Myanmar," the KSO posited.
The Kuki students' body also felt the concerns of other communities over the unchecked influx from outside.
The movement for implementation of ILPS is appreciated as it is for all the indigenous people.
But a more coordinated movement also involving all the hill people would be more vocal and productive in view of the Central Government's repeated rebuff of the issue in the past, it said.
Just as the people in the valley are wary of unsolvable problems due to population invasion from outside, the hill people have the felt need for protection of their land, identity, culture and existence from outside domination, it added.
No doubt some people have considered the current pro-ILPS movement as communal as claimed by Jadumani, because it is due to communal statement such as his which gives communal tone to people"s movement like ILPS.
His inflammatory statement can hurt the sentiments of other communities resulting in mistrust and alienation of other communities.
The KSO further appealed to mainstream civil bodies like UCM, AMUCO, DESAM and AMSU to rein in nondescript organizations from making inflammatory remarks which could hurt people's feelings.
To maintain peace and harmony and development, the people of Manipur cannot afford to divide itself along communal line, Seiboi Haokip added.