Zalengam: Kuki’s deadly dream- a threat to nation

By: Wahengbam Rorrkychand Singh
Manipur is reeling under seizure due to ongoing violence in the state for more than two months. Around 300 people have died and thousands were injured while around one lakh people were displaced as an impact of the “pre-planned” attack on the Meitei community by radical armed Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zou (CHIKIMZ) militants.
With the passing of each day, the hidden agenda of the ongoing attack has become clear. The memoranda submitted by the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) to the General Secretary of the United Nations, New York/Geneva on 29 June 2023 and Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu on 30, June 2023 seeking urgent intervention to their demand for Kuki state carving out the hill areas from the state of Manipur.
The body of Kuki-Zou requested the Prime Minister of Israel for his “personal intervention,” “To grant Kuki statehood under Article No.3 of the Indian Constitution for self-governance free from the control and discrimination in all aspects by the majority community.”
“In case of any hesitancy from the part of Government of India for creation of Kuki State…..Your kind intervention is a must for declaration of Kuki Country as per, George Abraham Grierson 1904, (Linguistic Survey of India, Vol. III, Part III), and in accordance to the ‘United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Paris Principles 1, 2, and 3 , by integrating all Kuki-Chin territories of Chin state (Myanmar/ Burma), Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Bangladesh and Mizoram (India) and Kuki Hills in outer Manipur respectively, to be merged with one of the most friendly country in Southeast Asia,” demanded the memorandum submitted by the WKZIC to the Prime Minister of Israel.
The ongoing violence is an internal issue of the State (Manipur), however, the intention to submit a memorandum to the United Nations and the Prime Minister of a foreign nation (Israel) is a deliberate attempt to escalate the internal issue while paving a way to point fingers at the integrity and sovereignty of our nation.
Armed militants of CHIKIMZ are in constant violent and barbaric attacks on Meitei civilians, who are residing at Kuki dominated areas and villages adjoining hill areas since day one of the violence. While, various radical frontal organizations like Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum(ITLF), Kuki Students Organization (KSO), Zomi Students’ Federation Union (ZSFU) and Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) Sadar Hills are spewing hatred and churning anti-national propaganda. Theseradicalized civil bodies denied to participate in the peace process initiated by both the Central and State governments. “No peace before solution” is their stand, and instead of peace they have geared up for war to another level. Taking action against these anti-national and radical bodies, the State Home department has banned the organization and a book entitled ‘The Inevitable Split- Documents on State Sponsored Ethnic Cleansing in Manipur- 2003’published by ZSFU under different Sections IPC and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
Manipur is not the only place where CHIKIMZ murdered hundreds of civilians in their effort for the reunification of Zomi (people of Zo/Zomi). Kuki’s war with Naga (1992), Paite (1997), Karbi (2009), Dimasa (2011) and with other indigenous communities of Northeastern states of India and other communities of Myanmar and Bangladesh revealed the war-mongering characteristics of Kuki.
Kuki in Manipur embrace Christianity and identified themselves as descendent of Joseph and Manasseh (fourteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah) in India.
Demand for the “Right to self-determination, Autonomy and Self-government” at the cost of India’s integrity is unacceptable. The ongoing violence in Manipur is just the tip of the iceberg while the hidden agenda is their cherish dream of Zalengam (land of freedom). The same is reflected in the memoranda submitted to the United Nations and the Prime Minister of Israel.
The US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, who consider the ongoing violence as an “internal” issue of Manipur, expressed his desire to “assist in any way if asked.” The interest of the US and such a special concern and love is not a surprise to many in the crisis-torn state of Manipur, which is under fire with year-long violent demand for a Greater Nagaland of National Socialist Council of Nagaland’s (NSCN). The slogan of NSCN is “Nagaland For Christ” and Christian nationalism is the ideology of the ongoing separatist movement in the region.
When a peace rally with armed militants turned violent on May 3, 2023 the apex bodies of CHIKIMZ took a sudden U-turn from their earlier demand for the protection of tribal rights to a separate administration. Calculated attacks on civilians and scale of violence, the orchestrated drama of 10 Kuki MLAs, the overnight establishment of an IT team at the national capital and the deployment of armed cadres across the foothills of the state in a short period, filing series of cases at various Courts including Supreme Court of India just after the violence erupted on May 3, series of memoranda to national and international bodies suggest that the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Meitei (mostly Hindu) is a pre-meditated plan among the stakeholders.
A patriot never wadges war against his country and could not see his country falling apart? Only refugees and wicked people could think of war against their host country, where they are taking temporary shelter and people, who are sharing food and shelter with them.
(The author is Imphal based journalist and holds PhD in Journalism and Mass Communication)