The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) has deplored the statement by the union home minister Shri Amit Shah during the parliament monsoon session on August 9 which it termed as ‘gravely shocking’
A presss release by secretary, information & publicity of Kuki Inpi Manipur, Janghaolun Haokip stated that the remark is extremely unfortunate and dismaying as it is largely speculative with no valid proof or evidence.
The release stated that the present carnage in Manipur has no link whatsoever with the much-hyped ‘influx’ of Kukis into Manipur or Mizoram, adding that “the Meiteis’ insecurity to ‘influx of Kukis’ from Myanmar into Manipur is overhyped and out of fierce jealousy compounded with their antagonism and nothing more than that.
Besides, Kukis who are living outside Manipur have no influence to create troubles in Manipur.” KIM stated that Shah echoed N.Biren Singh’s prejudicial statements, false allegations and concocted narratives in the temple of democracy without objective analysis/empirical evidence and termed it abhorrent, nonsensical and disastrous. The union home minister has not only obliterated but also negated the Kukis of their history, origin and identity. Alas! Shri Amit Shah has sacrificed the Kukis at the altar of N.Biren Singh, KIM stated.
KIM pointed out that the development in Myanmar has a very serious ramification in Manipur – that, the secessionist Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) who otherwise were given refuge in Myanmar by the military junta could no longer enjoy protection from the junta due to the intensified pro-democracy uprising. The bases of these anti-national elements, who are involved in numerous subversive and antinational activities in Manipur/India from the soil of Myanmar, became vulnerable and unsafe following the disturbances in Myanmar.
KIM further stated that the Biren Singh Government in Manipur received immense pressure from the VBIGs operating in Myanmar, seeking protection. In his attempt to accommodate the VBIGs, Biren Singh misled and misinformed the Centre about the Kukis. Biren Singh and VBIGs’ frontal organisations such as COCOMI’s fabricated charges against the Kukis and even launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against them so as to expand and consolidate Meiteis’ influence in every part of Manipur, particularly in Kuki areas.
The release went on to add that it was with this milieu that Biren Singh started scheming anti-Kukipolicies and imposing the majoritarian rule on the Kukis. It is also to be noted that the Kukis are being kept subjugated, deprived and oppressed by the Meiteis since ages. Biren’s policy against the Kukis has crossed all the tolerable limits; all these enormities on the Kukis are being done at the behest of the secessionist VBIGs.
KIM stated that it was shocking and gravely alarming to project the Kukis in a bad, damaging light who had enormous contributions to India’s Freedom Struggle (1942-45) by joining the Indian National Army under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose besides fighting against the British colonialists in the Anglo-Kuki War (1917-1919) for three consecutive years-the brave feats of which no other tribes in the whole northeast have to cherish of.
The origin, history and identity of any nation or community is best known only by ‘themselves’, not by ‘others’ who maligned and dehumanized them in an attempt to grab their God-endowed land and natural resources, the release added.
In view of the “grave blunder and gross injustices meted out to the Kukis,” KIM stated that it is prudent on the part of the union home minister to rise above party politics/political vendetta, thereby clarify his parliament’s speech with evidence, if any, and disown his statement by tendering apology to the aggrieved Kukis in case he failed to produce concrete evidence on the “origin of the present conflict vis-a-vis Kuki refugees from Myanmar.”