Lamka, January 19 2009: A day before the State observes its Statehood Day, the armed outfit Kuki National Organisation (KNO) said rather than joining the celebration, it lamented over the pathetic condition of the people in the State and out-rightly reject any contention of a secure and prosperous future in Manipur.

"Even after 61 years on India's independence and 37 years of Manipur Statehood, the distressing situation of the Kuki people have been worsening day by day due to the discriminatory policies and step-motherly treatment of successive Governments", Lenin H Kuki said in a statement issued on the occasion of the Statehood Day celebration.

The Information and Publicity secretary of the outfit also claimed that the failure to protect and save innocent lives by the State of Manipur during the NSCN (IM) genocide campaign in the 90s as a clear factor that exposed Manipur does not exist for the welfare and security of the Kuki people.

The non-implementation of SC/ST reservation policy, detrimental land revenue and reserved forest policy, the non-declaration of Sadar Hills as a revenue district and the representation of Manipur solely by Devis and Singhs are the other factors that features, according to the outfit, what future the Kukis have in Manipur.

Claiming the Kukis were under the imperial rule well after the Meitei Maharaja and his kingdom, KNO said it is unfortunate that the imperialist power withdrew without granting the right of self-determination to the Kuki people.

"It is a great blunder and an act of injustice," it added.

On the onset, KNO called for all concerned to ponder and find, and suggest as well the ways and means to save or to atleast ameliorate the Kuki people and other threatened communities like the Gorkhas, Bodos, Karbis and Garos so that their distinct culture, history and land are well protected and secured � giving them the dignity and privilege which they rightly deserved.

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