KNO calls for creation of a Kuki State
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 18 2015 :
President of Kuki National Organization (KNO) PS Haokip reiterated his organization's long-standing demand for a Kuki state within the Indian Union.
In a statement released on September 18, Haokip appealed leaders of the Kuki armed groups under the umbrella organizations of United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO) for unity.
According a report by Kuki International Forum (http://kukiforum.com/), Haokip said that the land Kuki forefathers fought to protect from British between 1917 and 1919 (Kuki Rising), the part of Kuki territory that has been "incorporated in the Manipur state".
He pointed out Kuki's right to govern themselves and determine their development stands unrecognized today.
"Our people have now shown solidarity with our struggle to achieve political recognition of our right to govern ourselves over our territories, the merciless killing of our 9 martyrs being the spark," he said.
Calling upon the Kukis to unite and speak in one voice, Haokip said that the strength of a movement lies in the support of the masses.
"When our people are screaming that they want out from the existing political entity called Manipur, we must leverage their strength to achieve our common goal of a political solution for our people" reiterated the statement.
Haokip asserted Kukis do not want an administrative solution within Manipur and said, "We must reflect the people's wish and our revolutionary objective to achieve the recognition of our political right to govern ourselves over our territories, separate politically from Manipur." "We know the exclusive and clear political objective of our tribal brothers, the Nagas, and we now know that our only shared interest is in breaking away from Manipur", emphasized the statement.
The KNO President said the Nagas are pursuing their dream of a pan-Naga political entity and the Kukis know that they lay claim to large parts of Kuki territories, "over which they have killed many of our innocent villagers without even sparing women and children" .
"In this light, we also know that the KNO had offered the NSCN (IM) to work out a political and territorial understanding and they have declined our offer for mutual understanding based on mutual respect and a spirit of peaceful co-existence," said the KNO President.
"Today, we need to give our politically aroused people an identity and a goal.
We cannot delay this further.
We can no longer afford to shout tribal unity and can no longer raise slogans like "Tribals want separation from Manipur" since the Nagas refuse to work together.
It is time we shout our own slogan like the Nagas do," said PS Haokip.
"I am sure you would all agree that we need to unite under Kuki political identity till our goal is realized", PS Haokip asserted.
He proposed that the Kukis rise up to the call of political situation and unite the people under one identity - Kuki and lead them to claim political right for a state within the Indian Union.
"This alone will meet our people's aspirations for security, peace, welfare and development.
This alone will meet our expectations of progress as a people," said PS Haokip.
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