When who said matter more than what was said
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 24, 2023 -

THE manner in which Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi ganged up against Chief Minister N Biren Singh after the latter said in an interview with the Times of India that the ongoing violence in Manipur was planned years ago to press for a separate nation for Kuki-Chin people has shown how the Kuki-Chin organisations could be rattled easily by anything he says or does now.

Responding to a question on the root cause of the May 3 mayhem, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said in the interview that though the immediate trigger was his government's war on Drugs, implementation of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and identification of illegal immigrants, the violence was planned years ago to press the demand for a separate nation for the Kuki-Chin people and it was not related to the ST demand of the Meiteis/Meeteis or seeking of a recommendation on the matter by the Manipur High Court.

By reproducing a chuck of what Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said in the interview, we are in no way trying to defend or support him as the inefficiency of his government in handling the violence that has been raging on for close to six months now with no solution in sight is well-known to all, but to emphasise the point that there is nothing new in what the Chief Minister had said.

In fact, it is the same thing even those in the corridors of power in New Delhi have come to the conclusion after analysis of the events that took place before and after the supposedly peaceful Tribal Solidarity March organised by All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3.

So, it appears that the angry reaction of the Kuki-Chin organisations to the statement of the Chief Minister has got nothing much to do with what is being said than who is saying it.

How the Tribal Solidarity March taken out against the directive given by the High Court of Manipur to the Government of Manipur for sending recommendation to the Centre for recognition of the Meetei/Meetei as ST had been devised as a ruse by the leaders of Kuki-Chin community to attain their ultimate dream of 'Zalengam' or the "Land of Freedom" was exposed by none but themselves.

Apart from the question of why the Solidarity March taken out simultaneously in all hill districts of the state turned violent only in Churachandpur district before it soon spread to other Kuki-Chin dominated places, forcing the Meitei/Meetei to retaliate; the hasty move of raising the demand for a separate administration within days of outbreak of the violence and then launching a global campaign for "creation of a country for the Kukis by integrating all Kuki-Chin territories of Chin state (Myanmar/Burma), Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh) and Mizoram (India) and Kuki hills in Outer Manipur" in accordance to GA Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India, 1904, Volume 3, Part-Ill and under United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Right to self-determination, Autonomy, Self-Governance and Indigenous Institutions" had revealed the sinister plan of 'Zalengam' that was conceived years ago and preparations were being made for its realisation through falsehood and concoction of history.

If not for the strenuous efforts made by the Kuki-Chin leaders to internationalise the humanitarian crisis in Manipur by playing the victim card at every possible forum, none would have known the danger posed by Zalengam.

It is by peddling the one-sided narrative of minority Christian Kuki-Chin people being allegedly prosecuted by majority Hindu Meitei/Meetei people, which is far removed from reality on the ground, that the leaders of Kuki-Chin community got caught in a trap laid by themselves.

So, just as what is being said does not matter anymore than who is saying it, leaders of Kuki-Chin community should not try to put the baggage of blame on anyone's shoulder for shattering the dream of Zalengam before it could realise.