KIM refutes UCM claim on genesis of conflict
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 20 2024:
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) has outrightly rejected the assertion by the United Committee Manipur (UCM) that illegal immigration is the root cause of the ongoing violence in Manipur.
In a rebuttal issued by its information and publicity secretary Jang-haolun Haokip, KIM accused UCM of deliberately deflecting general attention from the violence of "targeting the Kuki-Zo people", stating that it firmly rejects the misleading narrative propagated by the UCM that illegal immigration is the root cause of the ongoing violence in Manipur.
This is a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from the real issue - the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of Kuki- Zo people.
The violence that has ravaged the state for over 16 months is a direct consequence of the deep-seated ethnic hatred, not the cross-border movement of immigrants, the secretary maintained.
Further stating that opposition to border fencing is not limited to Kuki-Zo people as Naga and Mizo communities too have consistently voiced their rejection of the fencing project, citing it violation of human rights, Janghaolun pointed out that forcing such projects without respecting the indigenous bonds across the Indo-Myanmar border is both inhumane and unacceptable.
The Government of Manipur had already set up a Cabinet Sub-Committee to address concerns regarding illegal immigration along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Despite this, the UCM continues to fan the flames of xenophobia, blaming the Kuki-Zo community for issues they had no hand in creating.
It's an attempt to criminalize the Kuki-Zo people for the violence that has targeted and displaced thousands.
The ongoing violence has been acknowledged by the Home Minister himself as an ethnic conflict, not an issue of terrorism or illegal immigration, claimed the secretary, contrary to recent media reports quoting the home minister Amit Shah as saying that the illegal immigration is root cause of the conflict.
The secretary continued that UCM's demand to prioritise fencing in Kuki-dominated areas is not only inhumane but also a blatant disregard for the ethnic ties that predate the existence of modem borders.
The Inpi also strongly condemned government of India's alleged tendency to pander to the interests of a single community, the Meeteis, without considering the welfare of several other communities in Manipur.
Further questioning wisdom of the government of India continuing to appease 'Manipur CM N Biren' regardless of the violence raging and affecting all sections of the society, secretary Janghaolun Haokip stressed that Manipur is not the only state sharing a border with Myanmar as the fencing will also impact the ethnic communities of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, whose cross-border ties predate the very existence of modem India.
Instead of prioritising fencing, the government should focus on the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) suffering from the ongoing violence.
When basic relief is still insufficient, border fencing cannot be a solution to the ethnic strife in Manipur - a reality even the Home Minister has acknowledged, opined the secretary.
KIM also expressed firm belief that the only lasting solution to the ongoing conflict is creation of a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people.
"The repeated targeting of our community, the manipulation of facts by organisations like UCM, and the state-sponsored violence have made it abundantly clear that peaceful coexistence is no longer possible within the current framework of Manipur.
A separate administration is the only way to ensure the safety, dignity, and future of the Kuki-Zo people.
We urge the Government of India to recognize this reality and take decisive steps toward securing a permanent and just resolution," added Janghaolun Haokip.
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