Body decries ban on Thangjing pilgrimage
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 11 2025: Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation has strongly condemned a statement issued by six Chin-Kuki groups on Wednesday, threatening Meeteis against undertaking their annual pilgrimage to Thangjing Hill, a sacred site in Churachandpur district.

In a press statement issued Friday, the foundation described the threat as "unconstitutional" and "blatantly provocative", asserting that Meeteis have been making the pilgrimage to Ibudhou Thangjing, the guardian deity of the hills, since ancient times.

Comparing the threat to barring Hindus from visiting Kailash Parbat or Muslims to Mecca, the group said it violated fundamental rights to religious practice and freedom of movement.

The foundation alleged that Chin-Kuki groups have, in recent years, repeatedly obstructed Meeteis from visiting hilltop pilgrimage sites, leading tp tension and sporadic clashes.

It accused Chin-Kuki militants of desecrating the sacred Thangjing Hill amid the current ethnic conflict, including erecting a cross and renaming the pilgrimage site.

Maintaining that the latest threat amounts to a deliberate attempt to provoke fresh violence and derail peace efforts, the statement noted: "These so-called civil society organisations are acting as fronts for Chin-Kuki militants who are determined to prolong the conflict to justify their demand for a separate administration" .

The foundation also criticised the union and state governments for their inaction, stating that the same has emboldened such groups.

The Foundation called on the Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies to take "decisive and exemplary actions" to prevent further provocation and safeguard constitutional rights.

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