Centre subscribing to fake history of Kukis: MMTU
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 05 2024: The violence perpetrated on Meetei community is a follow-up to the demand raised by the Kuki State Demand Committee to the Prime Minister in 2022 for a separate state for Kuki-Zos.

However, the central government, believing in the fake history engineered by Kuki intellectuals, is continuing to endorse aspiration of the community, alleged Meetei-Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU).

In a release issued by its secretary T Parijat, MMTU said endeavour to create Kukiland since 1958 has been generating goodwill of successive central leaderships, thereby emboldening the Kukis to launch offensives against the indigenous communities in the northeast region.

It pointed out that Kuki National Organisation (KNO) spokesperson Seilen Haokip had been misinterpreting the contents of "Tinguistic Survey of India-Volume III" (1904) written by British GA Grierson, along with Kuki intellectuals to mislead the Kuki-Zo commoners, and even succeeded in impressing the central government to grant recognition to the Kuki-Zo as an indigenous community so as to fulfil their demand.

Contending that the Ku-ki-Zo renamed sites of heritage and historical importance of the indigenous communities, the secretary maintained that various tribes settling in Myanmar, Assam, Manipur and Tripura, who spoke Chin-Kuki language, were grouped under one single Kuki tribe along with pointing out that Seilen Haokip's publication claimed that the land inhabited by the Meeteis originally belong to the Kukis and even showed a fake boundary map, claiming that it was drawn by the British for the Kukis.

The Kuki-Zos, who are refugees from Myanmar, submitted a written demand through the Kuki Association for their own land to the then union home minister in 1958, followed by the erstwhile Kuki Chief Association pur suing the demand for a separate country of Kuki-Chins in Manipur (India), Burma and Bangladesh along with apprising the demand to the then chief commissioner of Manipur, JMN Raina.

As the central government began processing the same, in 1959 the Kuki National Assembly demanded the then union joint secretary (home) for a separate hill for Kuki-Zos.

Subsequently, in 1960, the Kuki National Assembly demanded separate state to the then PM.

The written demand was made available to the then governor of Assam, and chief commissioners of Manipur and Tripura.

In 1960, the Paite National Council demanded the then PM for a territory of Chins residing Manipur, Myanmar and Bangladesh, with all such proposals masterminded by the then home secretary T Kipgen.

In 2011, the Kuki State Demand Committee urged the then PM for a Kuki state, based on the demands of the Kuki underground groups bound by the signatories of suspension of operation (SoO) agreement signed with the government.

In 2022, the Committee submitted a memorandum to the current PM to carve out a state for the Kukis out of Manipur's territory with a stern warning.

This prolonged political movement then turned into an all-out war on the Meetei community on May 3, 2023.MMTU accused the central government of lending support to the Kukis' movement, aiding the latter in establishing a Kuki-Occupied Manipur in areas dominated by them.

The central government is infatuated only in its geopolitics with Myanmar, Bangladesh and China, while focussing on how to exploit the resources and raw materials from Manipur.

Stating that it is impossible for Kuki-Zos, whose origin is unknown, to form an independent county, MMTU cited the failed demands for Tamil State (1970-2009) and Mizo territory (i960) .

The Union also recounted butchering of many indigenous 'Tripuris' in pursuance of the agenda to form the present Mizoram state.

The prevailing situation in Manipur is now an international issue with the involvement of foreign countries, in an aim to establishing a Christian country.

This is a challenge to the very surviv -al of the various indigenous communities of Manipur, it stated.

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