KNO flays repeated diatribe against Kuki community
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 08 2021:
Kuki National Organisation (KNO) has expressed concern over repeated diatribe against Kuki community on social media and urged "people of Manipur to desist from the temptation of spreading rumours or malign any community with false allegations and instead channel every grain of energy to promote peace, harmony and equitable development in the state" .
"Of late, serious diatribe against Kuki, with a view to sow seeds of discord with the Meitei community has been rife on social media.
The lead taken in this respect is by social organisations, the Haomee Federation and the Mahousa Apunba Lup, and a few, but relatively less provocative collective of individuals active on Facebook.
This distasteful development serves no other purpose than reflect prejudice and a degree of historical amnesia," KNO said in a press release issued on Saturday.
Recalling historical ties between Meiteis and Kukis, KNO stated, "In AD 1820, Kukis pitched in to assist King Herachandra in fighting against the Ava (Burmese) incursions.
The Kukis sent five hundred warriors as there were only three hundred Meiteis to fight.
"In the reign of King Chandrakirti (1851-1852), Kamhau, the Sukte Chin King declared war on the Meitei Kingdom.
King Chandrakirti, defeated, was taken prisoner to the Chin land.
The Kukis sent 1,200 warriors and fought against the Kamhaus, rescued Chandrakirti and restored him to the throne.
Following the event, king Chandrakirti held a grand occasion to honour the Kukis.
"More recently, in 1949 two hundred and ffty Kukis, mostly Haokip chiefs, with muzzle loaders defended king Bodhchandra, who was against merger of Manipur to the Indian Union (Annexation of Manipur 1949, 1995, p.182, Published by the People's Democratic Movement, Manipur).
As a gesture of appreciation, king Bodhchandra honoured the Haokips to settle at Haokip Veng, near Sanjenthong in the heart of Imphal.
"Meiteis were categorised under Kuki owing to the linguistic affinity with the other Kuki Groups (Land and People of Indian States and Union Territories, SC Bhatt, Gopal Bhargava, 2001).Dr Grierson was the first colonial researcher to present the relationship between Meiteilon and Kuki-Chin languages.
On migration, KNO pointed out that "Col Johnstone's account that Kukis migrated into Manipur only around 1850 refers to the year when he first came in contact with the Kukis.
Had Col Johnston, Higgins or McCullock arrived in Manipur in 1600, they would have reported the Kukis as spotted in 1600 AD.
Captain Butler, who in 1873 was Deputy Commissioner of Naga Hills, in his Report to the Revenue Proceedings 1873, Nos, 120 to 132, mentioned Kacha Nagas as first spotted in 1839 as tribes living in the Jungly Hills due south of the Angami Country (McKenzie, NE frontier of India).
Col Johnstone in his report on 'Aggressions of Chassad Kookies' mentioned 'the Tankhools are Manipur subjects and occupy the Hill country East of the Valley.
They were first mentioned in Dr Brown's account of the Hill country and tribes under the rule of Manipur in 1867'.On misrepresentation of Kukis as refugees, KNO stated that "In 1967 during the Khadawmi operation in Burma, between Christmas and the New year, a small population of Kukis were forced to fee to Manipur.
The hapless people, treated as refuges, were given humanitarian aid by the Indian Government.
Government Notification (DO No B-R/67/DC/1314-6, dated June 6 1968) to this effect was issued by District Commissioner Manipur.
Suisa Tangkhul was the Member of Parliament from Outer Manipur at the time.
The unfortunate event has been misrepresented to suggest all Kukis are refugees".
On Mt Koubru issue, KNO said, "Concerning the apparent debacle over Mount Kou-bru, from time immemorial, people of the valley have been cordially welcomed and even assisted where possible on their pilgrimage.
Under no circumstance has this status altered, and neither should it ever.
The bottom line is Kuki and Meitei will remain neighbours as ever, forever.
Nothing can change this God given relation.
Neither should any party venture to alter the age-old status".
It continued, "KNO is pleased to proclaim that Kukis have always been the vanguard for Manipur's territorial integrity.
Historical incidents have been cited above to elaborate on this noble endeavour.
In the current tripartite en-gagement with Government of India and Government of Manipur, too, the same is self-evident in the fact that Kukis seek political settlement not only within the Constitutional framework of India, but also within the state of Manipur.
Transparency of this nature reflects political settlement meant for development would benefit both the hill and valley people".
KNO then urged "people of Manipur to desist from temptation to spread rumours or malign any community with false allegations and instead channel every grain of energy to promote peace, harmony and equitable development in the state" .
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