'No peace talks unless Kukis accept their mistakes'
Source: Chronicle News Service
Jiribam, May 18 2024:
Social activist Rohan Philem has asserted that peace talks cannot proceed until the Kukis acknowledge their mistakes.
Addressing a press meet held at the office premises of All Jiribam Working Journalists' Union in Jiribam on Saturday, Roshan, who has been in Jiribam as part of a Unity campaign' for the past four days, clarified about the recent speculation surrounding the peace talks between the Meetei and Kuki communities held in Guwahati under the initiative of All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) and categorically stated no peace talk is possible until the Kukis acknowledge their mistakes.
Roshan said that during his stay in Jiribam, he had interacted with various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Meira Paibi Lups, and students.
He had also come across a letter addressed to a Kuki-Zo pastor by a group called Young Kuki.
In the letter, Young Kuki questioned the grounds for holding peace talks with him (Rohan), citing his alleged activities against the Kuki community.
Roshan emphasised the peace-loving nature of the Meetei community but stressed that peace could not come at the expense of Manipur's integrity and identity.
AMCO, an organisation inclusive of members from Meetei, Naga, and Kuki communities, faced criticism in the letter, with Young Kuki advocating for Kukis to withdraw from AMCO, alleging it to be a Christian group working solely for Meetei and Naga interests.
The letter also accused the Naga of aligning with the Meetei, despite their neutrality in the conflict, and urged Kuki churches under Manipur Baptist Convention to affiliate with Christian bodies in Mizoram.
Rohan highlighted the reluctance of Kuki bodies to acknowledge vandalism and destruction of temples during the crisis, in contrast to Meetei organisations' acknowledgment of church destruction, and said that it shows the dubious agenda and one-sided narrative of Kukis.
He cautioned against attempts to create divisions among the Meetei based on religious affiliations.
In conclusion, he urged the Kuki community to acknowledge their mistakes as a prerequisite for holding peace talks.
He emphasised that any peace talks should not compromise Manipur's territorial integrity or include conditions for separate administration.