Assault on Naga villager by KRA cadres condemned
Source: Chronicle News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, September 08 2023: Liangmai Senior Citizens' Forum, North East India (LSCF-NEI), in a statement issued by its chairman Ch Dithinbou, said that the September 5 incident where Z Hotngambou of Rianglong (Lenglong) village, Tamei subdivision, Tamenglong district, was assaulted on by Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) cadres, which is under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government, at Chalwa along IT Road under Kangpokpi district has a potential to trigger a flare-up.

While strongly condemning the incident, the Forum said that Kukis have been harassing Naga commuters along the IT Road for a long time now.

Z Hotngambou is aan ex-chairman of Lenglong village, a founding member and advisor of Zuinamai Foundation-North East India, and also member of LSCF-NEI.

According to LSCF-NEI, Z Hotngambou had to undergo medical treatments because of the beating by the Kuki militants.

The Forum also alleged that the Kuki militants started beating Hotngambou the moment he mentioned the names of Naga Hoho, UNC, LNC and others during the course of interrogation by the Kuki militants.

"Such an act of the Kuki militants is akin to challenging the Naga civil society organizations and the Nagas as a whole," the Liangmai elders' body also said.

The Liangmai Senior Citizens' Forum then recalled how the 1990s' violence between the Nagas and the Kukis started.

The Forum further recalled that incident where the then chairman of Chaton village who also happened to be secretary of Zeliangrong Union of Tamei Zone, Champonbou, was thrashed by the Kukis at Chalwa, IT Road, many years ago.

The Liangmai forum then asked, "What actually the Kukis are upto by repeatedly meting out such acts to the Nagas?" The Liangmai body then drew the attention of all concerned people and authorities to look into the issue and address the situation at the earliest.

Similarly, Liangmai Naga Council (LNC) denounced that Kukis, although living in Naga areas, have crossed the limit as they continue to harass the Nagas.

Citing the September 5 incident at Chalwa in LT.Road under Kangpokpi district, the LNC said, we are left with no choice but to stand up for our right to protect our lands and our people".

In a statement, LNC said, "It is an undeniable fact that majority of the Kukis are staying/ taking shelter in the Nagas' ancestral land especially in the general area of the 'unrecognized' Kangpokpi district, designed and created to gain political mileage, which was also opposed tooth and nail by United Naga Council (UNC)/Nagas" .

The LNC added that, in the current scenario, the Kukis are availing their basic necessities and other amenities from the Naga areas especially from Senapati district.

Moreover, not a single untoward incident happened or obstruction caused to any individual irrespective of their communities by the Nagas till date.

The Kukis including the displaced people are getting free access to any part of the Naga areas, the LNC also said.

However, in spite of the "Good Samaritan" approach extended by the Naga fellow citizens, the Kukis are repaying "our good will" by indulging in rampant extortion and physical harassment meted out to the indigenous Liangmai Naga travellers by imposing "forceful illegal tax" along the NH-2 and Imphal-Tamenglong (IT) Road in Kangpokpi areas, the LNC further alleged.

The LNC then "strongly" conveyed that the "indigenous Liangmai Nagas" desire a peaceful co-existence and further recalled incidents and "anti-social activities inflicted by the members of Kuki militants in the past.

"The indigenous Liangmai Naga community sternly warns against any kind of extortions, physical assaults and harassments meted to any Naga citizen in near future.

Further, the indigenous Liangmai Naga community questions the Government of India and the Government of Manipur on the free movement and widespread illegal and criminal activities of the Kuki militants who have already created a safe haven along LT.Road, Kangpokpi, shielded as they are under the so called Suspension of Operation.

We appeal to the central government and the state government to act on these elements at the earliest, failing which another communal conflict may erupt soon," the LNC warned.

The statement then said, "The latest incident conjures up the worst imagery of the so-called Kuki war of independence in 1917-1919".Armed as the Kukis were with muzzle loading guns provided by their handlers, the Nagas suffered the most depraved acts of genocide whereby more than a thousand Nagas were slaughtered in most inhumane ways, the LNC added.

Meanwhile, Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB)-Assam, Manipur & Nagaland and Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) have also strongly condemned the physical assault meted out to Zuina Hontngambou of Lenglong village, Tamei sub-division on September 5 allegedly by the cadres of Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) at Chalwa village, IT road for failing to pay a sum of only Rs 300.As per a joint release, the incident is a matter of shameful act for the UG group which is under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Government of India.

There have been instances of similar acts perpetrated upon the innocent public in the past by cadres of different UGs groups operating on the stretch of Imphal to Tamenglong (IT) road, it added.

Zeliangrong CSOs emphasised that KRA in particular and Kuki people in general should realise their location and position considering the critical situation for their own good only.

The outcome and consequences of frequent provoking to every community at this crucial juncture may not be favourable for the Kuki people as a whole, it cautioned.

The release continued that Zeliangrong people in particular and Nagas in general have been maintaining a neutral position without siding with either of the conflicting communities and have been issuing appeals to both the parties to stop the conflict from day one knowing well of the fact that it would bring nothing other than distress and devastation for all.

ZB and ZYF also demanded that Government of India to set up an Army outpost on the IT road for the safety and security of all the commuters and people of the surrounding Zeliangrong villages at the earliest and to rein in the cadres of the KRA involved in the incident so that harassment, intimidation and other excessive acts do not recur.

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