KSO-GHQs slams NSCN (IM)
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, March 02 2016: Drawing the immediate attention of the Union Home Minister, Kuki Students' Organization-GHQs today submitted a memorandum against the alleged atrocities of the NSCN (IM) .

The student body in its memorandum highlighted the alleged failure of the Central Government to protect the Kuki people from the onslaught of the NSCN (IM) in Manipur and added that there is still no let up to the atrocities committed by the NSCN (IM) even when the Government is finalizing its peace accord with the outfit.

It also alleged after the framework agreement was signed, a number of NSCN (IM) cadres have taken shelter in a village called Aimol Satu in Chandel district and have unleashed a reign of terror in the area.

Just after the framework agreement was inked on August 3, last year, NSCN-IM killed Hopson Maring, the V/A Chairman of Kangsang village, while on August 22, 2015, they [NSCN-IM] planted a bomb at a house and shot dead Manglun Aimol at Nairong village and fired indiscriminately at villagers, it said.

It continued to allege that on February 3, 2016 at around 6.30 pm the militant outfit attacked Molnom village and fired indiscriminately at the villagers wherein Lunkhogin Haokip sustained severe bullet injuries on the head and shoulder while on February 19, 2016 one Lalcha s/o (L) Ronghaka of Chehlep village was shot dead even after the Addl DIG 26 Sector of Assam Rifles and CO of 20 Assam Rifles convened a joint meeting with NSCN-IM, UKLF, village authority members of Molnom and Aimol Satu to stop further attacks and killings.

Just recently, on February 28, 2016 at around 4.30 pm, Ts Thongkhogin Haokip, an Asst.

Hindi teacher of Molnom Jr.

High School was mercilessly beaten and tortured to death at Satu village by two villagers and one NSCN-IM cadre, alleged the KSO-GHQs in the memorandum.

This perpetual act of killings by the NSCN-IM is a policy to terrorize and coerce people into submission akin to the genocidal acts it committed in the past on the Kuki people in which over 905 people including women and children were murdered; and 360 villages destroyed rendering over 1 lakh people homeless and landless, it added.

The memorandum also noted that the Kuki Inpi had apprised the Government umpteenth times to settle this genocidal act against Kukis by the NSCN (IM) in a Court of law.

But this demand for justice has not been met to this day despite the fact that the Government is morally obliged to resolve it.

Instead the Government puts an issue of crime against humanity to the backburner and deny justice to the thousands of Kukis who had borne the brunt of the NSCN (IM) ethnic cleansing policy.

It is the Central Government's continued deafening silence over NSCM-IM past acts of genocide that has only emboldened the outfit to carry out the recent heinous activities, further said the memorandum while adding that the framework agreement between the Centre and the NSCN-IM has only spawned unlawful activities such as monetary demand and imposition of taxes along highways and roads in Chandel district and other places such as Twilang area in Sadar Hills.

"As such the framework agreement of the NSCN-IM and the Central Government does not augur well for lasting peace or solution in Manipur", the student body asserted and urged the Union Home Minister to consider the demands before the Central Government finalizes the Naga Peace Accord.

The demands of the student's body in the memorandum are :The Government must ensure that the killers of Ts Thongkhogin Haokip, Asst.

Hindi Teacher of Molnom Jr.

High School are arrested and brought to justice; the Central and State Governments should rein in the NSCN-IM militants holing up in Chandel district and place them in their respective designated camps.

Prior to any final agreement between the Government and NSCN (IM), the Government must settle the issue of NSCN (IM) atrocities against Kukis, in which 905 innocent Kukis were murdered including the aged, children, pregnant mothers & disabled; 360 Kuki villages were uprooted and its lands seized; more than 100,000 rendered homeless and landless.

The rights of the Kukis with respect to their land and identity in Manipur should not be violated by the Government-NSCN (IM) peace accord.

In this regard a consultation between the Government and the Kukis at the highest level is mandatory.

The Government must ensure no socio-economic-political injustice is done to the Kuki community in Manipur and that the independence of India from British rule should not result in undue socio-economic-political advantage to other communities.

The Kukis have struggled against the greatest of odds to retain freedom through the ages.

It may be mentioned here that the Kukis had also joined the erstwhile INA in great numbers to fight for Indian independence.

Therefore, it must be ensured that the freedom of 'our mother' India should not result in the eventual subjugation/deprivation of the Kuki community and the loss of freedom.

In the meantime, reacting to the statement of NSCN-GPRN Khurmi region, KSO-GHQs stated that the NSCN-GPRN's (Khurmi Region) claim of Aimol tribe being a Naga tribe since time immemorial is outlandish and unacceptable for the fact that only 4 villages belonging to the Aimol tribe subscribe to Naga identity while the other 11 Aimol villages hold onto their own separate identity as an Old Kuki tribe based on their history and written records.

It also said that the 4 Aimol villages subscribe to Naga identity only because the NSCN-IM cadres are holing up in their villages while adding that the whole Aimol community cannot be called a Naga tribe as it would amount to distortion of history of the Aimol tribe.

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