Kukis rally for justice, submits memo to GoI
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 04 2014 : Responding to the call of Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Kukis in different parts of the State today took out mass peaceful rallies to show their resentment against the alleged callous attitude of Government of India towards the people affected by the 1990s ethnic killings of NSCN (IM) and submitted memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Governor and the Chief Minister int Imphal and through district magistrates in the hill districts.

About 2200 Kukis congregated at THAU Ground, Imphal before taking out a procession in the city, while around 10,000 Kukis joined the rally at Churachandpur town.

As many as 4500 Kukis participated in the rally at Kangpokpi, and about 5000 of them came out to take part in the procession at Saikul, while more than 3000 Kukis rallied from Mongneljang to Yaingangpokpi in Ukhrul district.

Similar protest rallies were also witnessed at Moreh and Tengnoupal with the participation of around 4500 and 6000 Kukis respectively, according to a statement of KIM.

Kukis rally for justice, submits memo to GoI

The rally was carried out to protest the Government of India's lackadaisical attitude towards the Kuki people who had endured the genocidal acts of NSCN-IM during 1990-97, it said, while informing that about 905 innocent Kukis including women and children were butchered by NSCN-IM and government stood as a mute spectator.

Moreover, 360 villages were turned into ashes and their lands grabbed.

It resulted in the displacement of more than 1,00,000 Kukis who could not return to their villages up to this day, the KIM statement said.

Today's peaceful protest rally was not against any particular community or underground group; rather it is against the Government of India's indifference to the plight of the Kukis, the KIM statement explained, and referred to the 61 memoranda which had been submitted to the central government without any fruitful results.

The rally was only to draw the attention of the government which is undergoing political talk with the NSCN-IM, it added.

The statement issued by the Information and Publicity Wing of KIM further said the rallies demanded immediate settlement of the plight of the victimised Kukis.

They also urged the government to first examine the war crimes of the NSCN-IM in a proper court of law of the country before any agreement is arrived at between the central government and the NSCN-IM.

It also demanded the cessation of any political talk between the government and NSCN-IM before Kukis are given their long due justice.

Otherwise, any agreement between the two will be futile and become the cause of civil unrest in the North East India, KIM said.

In Churachandpur, Kuki Inpi Churachandpur (KIC) organized the rally in and around the Churachandpur town and later submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Deputy Commissioner, Churachandpur P.K Jha.

The memorandum made it clear that before any possible agreement is reached between the Central Government and the Naga outfit NSCN-IM, the government should understand the plight of the Kuki people.

It blamed the Government of Indian for its glaring apathy and negligence towards the plight of the Kuki people who terribly suffered due to the acts of terrorism unleashed by NSCN-IM between 1990 and 1997 .

The former Prime Ministers of India Narasimha Rao, HD Deva Gowda, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, IK Gujral, and Manmohan Singh as well as the Presidents, Union Home Ministers have been repeatedly urged to legally settle the criminal acts of the NSCN-IM through over sixty memoranda.

However, the government of India had remained a mute spectator when the NSCN-IM murdered over 905 innocent Kukis, uprooted 360 villages and displaced 1,00,00 Kuki people who are still unable to go back to their villages, KIM memorandum stated, adding since the Government of India could not protect the Kuki people from the Naga rebel's onslaught, the Kuki youths defended the realm and their own people.

Saying that the enthronement of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India has renewed the hope of the Kuki people, it expressed hope that under the new leadership, the plight of the Kuki citizens would be addressed properly.

The KIC pleaded Narendra Modi to first settle the plight of the Kuki people before any possible agreement is reached with the NSCN-IM, and urged the Prime Minister to examine the crime of the NSCN-IM and punish the perpetrators to the satisfaction of the Kuki people.

As part of KIM's 'peaceful protest rally' taken out in eight selected locations of the the State, thousands of Kuki people from Kangpokpi and its adjoining areas also joined the rally at Kangpokpi to show their solidarity to the demand for justice long denied to them.

Although United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed serious concern over KIM's proposed rally, more than 6000 Kuki people congregated at Brig.

Thomas ground, Kangpokpi this morning at around 11 am before marching towards the Addl.

DC Complex to submit a memoranda.

Addressing the congregation, Dr..SChongloi, Secretary Kuki Movement for Human rights, a delegate of Kuki Inpi Manipur pointed out that the United Naga Council on 22 October, 1992 served a 'Quit Notice' duly signed by the then UNC president R.K.Thekho and Secretary Francis to the Kuki people settled in Manipur to flush out the Kukis from their land.

The same 'Quit Notice' copy was openly given to the State Government through DC, SDO and the Central Government while it was also published in all leading newspapers of the state.

The Quit Notice warned the Kuki people to face the ugliest form of torment if they (the Kuki) failed to desert their land within a stipulated time, continued Dr..SChongloi while pointing out that the Government's glaring apathy and negligence towards the open warning on the Kukis led to slaughter of 905 innocent Kukis, including children, men, women and elders; to uproot 360 villages to snatch way their lands; and to displace 1,00,000 people who are still unable to go back to their own villages by the NSCN-IM.

The Nagas are not fighting against the Kukis, Dr..SChongloi asserted and added that such 'criminal and genocidal acts' of the NSCN-IM towards the innocent Kukis is a direct challenge to the Government of India.

He continued that with Government of India remaining a mute spectator, the traditional Kuki apex body Kuki Inpi, which was revived on 29 June 1993, took three solid resolutions including the call of clarification from the UNC on the murder.

Dr..SChongloi also said that the Meitei also disagreed with the terror unleashed by the NSCN-IM upon the Kukis.

The Kukis then asked the Government of India to deliver justice to the victims of the crime through more than 60 memoranda, noted Dr..SChongloi before adding that even UNPFII came to acknowledge the plights of the Kukis and the terror act of NSCN-IM when Black Day was observed and a mass protest rally was staged on 10 January, 1996 at the capital city of the state demanding the Government of India to first settle the grievances or the plight of the Kuki people with justice.

Today's rally is the continuation of the 1996 Imphal rally with the same demand after 18 years, asserted Dr..SChongloi while affirming that if the Government of India fails to settle the plights of the Kukis before they reached any agreement with the NSCN-IM, Government of India would be assumed as 'Murderer, destroyer and disarticulator' .

The Kuki traditional policy is non-communal, peaceful co-existence and justice for all, said Dr..SChongloi and added that KIM movement is for justice, peace and harmony.

The rally marched towards Addl.

DC Complex via NH-2 and submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister of India through Addl.

DC, Sadar Hills, Senapati District, Government of Manipur by Seikhomang Khongsai and N.Sehjalien Gangte, President and Secretary respectively of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills in the presence of Dr..SChongloi on behalf of the Kuki people.

The rally witnessed placards reading, "Settle first the plights of victimized Kukis", "NSCN-IM committed war crime, NSCN-IM is Terrorist", "No Fencing in the Middle of Hill Independent Country", "Justice delayed is justice denied", etc.

by the participants.

Copies of the memorandum were also addressed to Ban Ki Moon, secretary General of UN, Chief Secretariat, UNPFII, New York, UN HQs and all Chief Ministers of North Eastern States as well as National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi.

KIM's Kangpokpi rally was also participated by members of Kuki Inpi Gunhom Lhang, Kuki Inpi Twilang Lhang, Kuki Inpi Twibul Lhang, Kuki Inpi Moltam Lhang, Kuki Students' Organization Sadar Hills, KWU Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi Town Committee, Kangpokpi Women Welfare Organization and Kangpokpi Youth Union apart from various other CSOs and the general public.

At Tengnoupal Sub - Divisional Headquarters in Chandel District, a large number of villagers from Machi and Tengnoupal Sub - Division took out the Mass Rally after a Public Meeting presided by Houjakhup Lupho, Vice - President of Kuki Inpi Manipur ( KIM ) .

The rally which was led by Kuki Chief's Association of Machi and Tengnoupal Block proceeded to the Office of the Sub-Divisional Officer and submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister through Md.Jahuruddin Khan, Sub-Divisional Collector, Tengnoupal.

Meanwhile, the KIM-sponsored rally in Jiribam was prevented from entering Jiribam by the Jiri Police near Gularthon bridge as prohibition under Cr PC 144 was clamped in Imphal East district, reports from Jiribam News Network (JNN) said.

After holding a public meeting under the aegis of Kuki Inpi, Manipur and KSO, Manipur, the protest rally set off from the community hall of Phaitol village Tousem Sub-division in Tamenglong district at around 11 am.

Although a team of Jiribam Police blocked it near Gularthon bridge, a few representatives were allowed to go and submit a memorandum to the prime minister of India through the ADC, Jiribam.

The memorandum was jointly signed by Jangsat Haokip, President and Lengin Kipgen, Gen.

Secy.

of Kuki Inpi, Jiribam and Tamenglong, JNN reported.