KNA wants Kuki census to justify council demand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 23, 2012: The Kuki National Assembly (KNA), the apex body of the community, on Sunday stressed on the need for a fresh census of the ‘indigenous' Kuki population, which they claim stands at more than 35,000, in the Singhason hills to ‘justify' the Kukis' demand for an autonomous council.

Though many non-Kuki groups in Karbi Anglong have been questioning the Kukis' claim that they are present in such large numbers in the district, KNA is optimistic that the state government would respond positively to their demands, especially after three major Kuki outfits, Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) and United Kuki Defense Army (UKDA) lay down their arms on January 24. On that day, nine militant groups including five Adivasi militant groups like Adivasi Cobra Militants of Assam, Birsa Commando Force, Santhal Tiger Force, Adivasi People's Army and Adivasi National Liberation Army, besides Hmar Peoples Convention, KLA, KRA and UKDA will lay down their arms at Sarusojai Stadium here in the presence of Union home minister P Chidambaram and chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

“The demand for a Kuki autonomous council has been pending for over a decade and a half.

After several rounds of discussion with the state government and the home ministry we believe the laying down of arms is going to open up new possibilities.

We hope a fresh population survey would be started after the surrender ceremony to verify the demand for an autonomous council,” Thongthang Touthang, president of KNA, told TOI.

KNA was pressing for a separate Kuki state since 1992; the demand later came down to an autonomous council in 1998.Then in 1999, the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) was formed, allegedly with the help of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).

The outfit's declared objective was the creation of the ‘Kuki National Council' - an autonomous administrative council for the Kukis in Karbi Anglong.

“The government must be sincere and act on its promises as the Paresh Baruahled Ulfa faction and many Manipur-based insurgent outfits are trying to lure the Kukis to join them,” he added.

Sources in the KRA camp said it has a strength of around 180 cadres with some 50 arms, including many sophisticated and handmade ones.

Similarly, UKDA has 150 cadres with 40 weapons.

However, both the camps said assembling all the cadres in the surrender ceremony would be a difficult task.

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