Kuki chiefs disapprove Govt order
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 06 2024: Kuki Chiefs' Association, Manipur (KCAM) has strongly condemned a recent order issued by the Department of Tribal Affairs and Hills, entailing detailed documentation of Kuki-Zo villages and hills from 1964 till date.

Terming the order as deeply insensitive, particularly in light of the current crisis and displacement faced by the Kuki-Zo community, a KCAM statement criticised timing of the order, especially when over 40,000 Kuki-Zo individuals have been displaced due to the destruction of their villages.

The association called this move as an act of discrimination by the state government.

KCAM expressed concern that the documentation requirement could pave the way for illegitimate encroachments on their ancestral lands and undermine their traditional governance, including the rights of their chieftainship.

The association has resolved that no Kuki-Zo chief should comply with the government's order, which they see as an attack on their autonomy and identity.

KCAM reiterated its call for the establishment of a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with legislature to safeguard the rights, identity, and privileges of the Kuki-Zo people.

The association urged all Kuki-Zo individuals and leaders to unite in resisting the measures imposed by the state government.

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