Don't misuse our name : KUM to ZC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 27 2023: The Federation of Haomee (FoH) and Kom Union Manipur (KUM) have accused the Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) of adding the name of KUM in its controversial press release without taking any consent from the Union.

ZCSC had in its press statement dated December 22 urged the Prime Minister to intervene and expedite the talks with the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO) and create a separate administrative setup for the Zo people in the form of a Union Territory.

The ZCSC also made a controversial point by depicting the violence in Manipur which broke out after the solidarity rally of ATSUM in Churachandpur on May 3 as a "National War" declared on the Zo ethnic tribes by the Meitei community" .

Speaking to the media at Dewlahland today, KUM vice president Mangte Kom said that they condemn the conduct of ZCSC in the strongest terms as it can mislead the interest of the Kom people.

He claimed that the ZCSC didn't take any consent from them to include their name (KUM) in the statement.

Saying that they didn't give any permission either to ZCSC to include their name in the statement, Mangte Kom asserted that the conduct of ZSCS was hideous.

The name of KUM shouldn't be incorporated in any memoranda and documents without taking due approval from the Union , he said and maintained that Kom people will stay as Kom with pride.

Continuing that Kom is also an indigenous tribe of Manipur which has its own clans and sub-clans (yek-salai), he added that KUM has been working along with different civil society organisations (CSOs) to ensure peaceful co-existence among the indigenous people and build a united Manipur.

He further said that they at KUM are in constant touch with the Federation of Haomee to keep the State intact amid the ongoing conflict in Manipur.

FoH general secretary Y Shyam Khuman, on the other hand, said they support the stand of KUM to let Kom people live as per their own identity.

Saying that the FoH also condemns the ZCSC for including the name of KUM in their statement without taking any consent from the Union, he claimed that the conduct of ZCSC clearly shows their disregard for the smaller group.

He appealed to not believe any wrong narratives churned out by the Zomi Council against the Kom people.

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