Empowered Voices: Kuki-Zo Groups of Manipur Demand a Separate Union Territory with Legislature
Representatives from the Kuki-Zo communities demanded the creation of a separate Union territory with a legislature, similar to Puducherry, from the ethnic strife-torn state of Manipur. At a press conference in Delhi organized by the Kuki Students’ Organization (KSO) Delhi and NCR, the representatives elucidated their escalated demands, surpassing the call for President’s rule.
The KSO attributed the crisis to the displacement of over 41,000 people, the obliteration of more than 200 Kuki-Zo villages, and the loss of 191 lives, amid instances of rape and murder. They referenced an audio clip of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, dismissed by the state as ‘doctored,’ as evidence of the systemic crisis.
Representatives, including Janghaolun Haokip, secretary of Kuki Inpi Manipur, lamented the lack of response from state or central authorities. Mang Khongsai, ‘home secretary’ of KSO GHQ, cited targeted attacks on Kuki-Zo settlements under the guise of anti-encroachment drives. Michael Haokip, an assistant professor at Ambedkar University, refuted claims labeling the Kuki-Zo as immigrants, referencing historical Buddhist and Sanskrit texts.
Tingbem Khongsai, spokesperson for KSO Delhi and NCR, emphasized that national attention only converged on Manipur when distressing videos of women paraded naked surfaced. Ethnic violence ensued on May 3, 2023, after a tribal march against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status, claiming over 220 lives, including members of both communities and security personnel.
The KSO has formally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a separate administration and opposing the Center’s decision to withdraw the Assam Rifles from buffer zones in the state. With the crisis escalating, they urged the Indian Government to hasten a political resolution for Manipur’s ethnic turmoil.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/kuki-zo-groups-of-manipur-demand-separate-union-territory-with-legislature-1081983-2024-08-29?utm_source=rssfeed
Category :
Tags:
