Imphal, May 19 2010: This is in response to the wild allegations levelled against the Meiteis and Manipur by Isak Chishi Swu of NSCN-IM as reported in a section of the media in Nagaland and Manipur on May 17 that "the violence being committed by the Meiteis is mainly because of their greed for Nagas' land and property, not for love of the Nagas..." .

This allegation and more in the report clearly prove that Isak Chishi Swu is a communal-minded rebel who doesn't know the history of the peoples living in the North Eastern Region for thousands of years.

Seven states of the North East namely, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (with inclusion of Sikkim, eight sisters) have their own clear-cut boundaries with the peoples living in peace and communal harmony in their respective land.

It was only when Th Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu of the NSCN-IM started dreaming about forming a greater Nagaland by bringing all the areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Myanmar inhabited by different tribal peoples, who later came to be called as Nagas, under a single administrative unit that all kinds of trouble and violence started happening in the region.

And most of the violent incidents were caused by NSCN-IM.

In the sinister design of ethnic cleansing, hundreds of innocent Kuki people had been brutally massacred by the NSCN-IM.

Hundreds of Kuki villages had been burned down and destroyed.

Thousands of Kuki villagers had been displaced.

Many other people from among the so-called Naga tribes, who refused to toe the line of NSCN-IM, had also been killed.

It is where Isak Chishi Swu needs to be asked, whether is it Meiteis or Swu and his outfit who are greedy of other people's land? The Meiteis or for that matter, the Government of Manipur have never encroached upon the territory of Nagaland or Mizoram or Assam or even Myanmar.

It's only the NSCN-IM which has been trying to snatch a vast chunk of land from various states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur just because some tribes, who have nothing in common except the fact that they are all tribals, happen to inhabit the lands, claiming that they are all Nagas.

All people including the so-called Naga tribes know very well how these different ethnic tribes, particularly the smaller ones were intimidated and forced to agree to call themselves as Nagas.

All the peoples of North Eastern region also know it very well that it is only the NSCN-IM which has isolated itself from the rest of the peoples of the region with its grand idea of "unique history".

All the people of North East understand that the NSCN-IM's "history" is unique in its true sense because it is hardly a century old, whereas the histories of the Meiteis or the Ahoms, like that of any other people of the world, are thousands of years old.

Isak Chishi Swu should try to understand that in the history of Manipur, how Haipou Zadonang, a Kabui then, but now a Zeliangrong Naga, sacrificed his life to save Manipur from the then British colonialists, and also the roles taken by Thangal General and Chirai Thangal of the then Thangal tribe but now Thangal Naga, and their sacrifices still stand testimony to the fact that all the people of Manipur, irrespective of tribes or communities, hills or valley, lived together with mutual love and understanding.

Even looking back at the recent history, after Manipur became a full-fledged state, the first Chief Minister was Late Md Alimuddin from the minority community.

In its 37 years after getting statehood, Yangmasho Shaiza and Rishang Keishing ruled Manipur as Chief Minister for 21 years.

This historical fact is itself a vivid example of peaceful.

coexistence with mutual love and cooperation among the various tribes and communities of Manipur.

It shows that there was no room for communal politics in the state.

However, the bond of mutual love, peace, understanding, cooperation and communal harmony that had been existing among the various communities of Manipur for ages came under serious threat since the day the NSCN-IM started a violent campaign for the so-called Naga integration in Manipur and parts of the North East.

Isak Chishi Swu should make a self-introspection who in the first place set eyes on other people's lands.

Mr Swu and his companions need to deflect their eyes a bit from the "unique history" created by themselves, of themselves and for their own convenience, and study the genuine histories of the other Mongolian peoples of the region.

That will help him and his ilk see the brighter side of living together in peace and harmony without having to hunt for each other's head as the Nanga tribes in the yore used to do.

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