'Stay away from agenda of Kuki extremists'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 08 2024: The Pambei-led UNLF has called upon all the Kuki people to stay away from the suicidal agenda of Kuki extremists.

A statement issued by the outfit's Military Affairs Committee acting chairman M Nong-yai on the 37th raising day of the Manipur People's Army (MPA) asserted that the outfit is committed to protect the boundary of Manipur at all costs.

PS Haokip from Akhen village, Phek district, Nagaland should not be allowed to play divisive politics in Manipur, it said.

Likewise, the Zo people of Manipur should not support the ZRA president's attempt to disintegrate Manipur who hail from Tonjang village of Chin State, Myanmar, the MAC acting chairman said.

It's time for all the innocent and rational Kukis to retract their steps before the situation worsens, the acting chairman said.

The natural and geographical unity of Manipur can never be separated.

The hills cannot exist without the valley and vice versa, according to the acting chairman's statement.

Since May 3, 2023, Kuki-Chin-Zo extremists have been attacking and killing Meitei people.

But UNLF firmly believes that there are thousands of Kuki-Chin-Zo people who do not support the aggression.

Many Kuki people too joined the MPA in the past and MPA cadres were welcomed with open arms when they reached any Kuki village.

UNLF's first Vice-President Thangkhopao Singsit took pivotal rules in forming the party and he was a pioneer of the Kuki community, it said.

Manipur and the collective Manipuri nationhood was built over a course of 3000 years but some people who came to Manipur just around 300 years back have been scheming to disintegrate Manipur.

This is a challenge to all the 14/15 indigenous communities of Manipur, it said.

This dream of a few Kuki-Thadou has no historical foundation, the MAC asserted.

Under such circumstances, no amount of begging to the Government of India would ever give them separate administration.

The outfit would not accept or tolerate any threat to the integrity of Manipur when it is preparing for political talks with the Government of India on the lost sovereignty of Manipur, the MAC said.

No party whether they are Kukis or the Government of India has any right to alter the boundary of Manipur which was there at the time of its alleged annexation by India.

Giving free hand to the Kuki extremists as a part of geopolitics will only exacerbate the situation, it warned.

"Given the present situation, fighting to protect Manipur and save Meiteis is not our choice but a compulsion", the MAC said.

It's time to work out a collective strategy on how the Meiteis should fight the 10 months old aggression, it said.

The MAC paid deepest respect to all the martyrs who have laid down their lives in order to protect the integrity of Manipur.

It also paid homage to all those people killed and injured in the course of the ongoing conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Chin-Zo people.

Comment