Thadou bodies salute UPF, KNO on pol talks
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, June 18 2016 :
Thadou bodies today congratulated the United People's Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organization (KNO) on reaching the stage of Central Government-initiated political talks with the Centre and State Government on June 15 at New Delhi with the demand for a separate State after eight long years of entering Suspension of Operation (SoO).
The Thadou bodies comprising Thadou Inpi, Thadou Students' Association, Thadou Youth Association and Thadou Women's Association in a joint statement said that the tribal uprising in the wake of the passing of the infamous 3 'anti-tribal' Bills is a symptom of tribal resentment against the systemic discrimination perpetuated by successive Governments in Manipur.
It also said that the persistent denial of basic Constitutional safeguards for the tribals by not extending sixth schedule provisions to tribal area and disproportionate representation of Meiteis against tribals in the State Assembly, among other discriminatory policies adopted by the State Government, are a glaring exhibition of the State Government's utter disrespect for tribal rights and exploitation of the tribals to the advantage of the dominant community.
"Thadous believe in peaceful coexistence and respect for each other's rights, and take the commencement of the much-awaited tripartite political talk as a positive step of genuine recognition of the rights of the people concerned and the issue as a political issue, which in fact is the basis for a political settlement in any given political issue", it added.
It further said that the rights of citizens to their political aspirations, social and economic development and cultural protection enshrined in the Constitution of India should be ensured at all times, however challenging.
On the basis of this principle, the Government with a political will must engage with the UPF and KNO groups with sincerity, genuineness and openness to arrive at a reasonable conclusion for a political settlement.
It also observed that different communities of Manipur have different, and sometimes even conflicting, demands on certain issues but this should not hinder tribal unity for a common cause and should not be in the way of the current tribal movement for justice to tribals.
Meanwhile, the Thadou bodies also maintained that Kuki is not a (single) tribe as falsely propagated by champions of Any Kuki Tribes (AKT tribe) that was included in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Manipur in 2003 through political manoeuvring.
It continued that Kuki is a conglomeration of many cognate tribes in Manipur, nevertheless name of the nomenclature should not become detrimental to unity and it should not be an issue until there is a consensus on the issue while adding that Thadou bodies will continue to strive for maintaining unity among all the (erstwhile) Kuki tribes and all the tribal communities as a whole.
The Thadou bodies further lamented that the need of autonomy or Constitutional provisions to protect the interests and rights to the land, culture, identity and development of the tribals in Manipur is unmistakably clear.
While appreciating the sincere efforts taken by all parties, including Centre and State Government and the UPF and KNO involved in the political dialogue, the Thadou bodies hoped that it is not just another political gimmick but one that will bring peace and development and the long-standing problems of the people concerned to an honourable conclusion as early as possible within a set time frame.
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