The Zo-Reunification Organization (ZORO), General Headquarters, Aizawl, strongly denounced the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity's (COCOMI) recent declaration of a national war against the "Chin-Kuki Narco-Terrorists," and viewed the declaration as both absurd and highly condemnable.
ZORO on Friday stated that it firmly believed the resolution issued by COCOMI reflected a complete disregard for reality and underscored the urgent need for responsible leadership among the Meitei people.
"The decision to declare a "national war" against the Chin-Kuki community appears to stem from a self-centered mindset, where one's own beliefs are considered absolute. Classifying an entire tribe as 'narco-terrorists' is not only senseless and irrational but also demonstrates an unreasonable expectation that others would accept such baseless allegations," ZORO stated it its press release.
It is disheartening to witness a tribe with a rich historical lineage spanning thousands of years and comprising millions of people being swayed by leaders with nonsensical ideologies, it said.
The ZORO noted, throughout history, the Meitei people have never been victorious over the Zo community. Yet, those who had once upon a time arrested one of our chiefs by means of treachery now declare war upon us. They would rather chant the mantra, "Zo chiefs have never bowed before Meitei kings," along with lines like "Meiteis have never defeated Zo people" or "With the help of the British, they became our subjects in Manipur."
The Meitei people should remember that the Zo community was only defeated by the mighty British. During the British rule, several Zo tribes were administered from Manipur for the convenience of the colonial administration. This is not something to be proud of, it stated.
ZORO further stated that the individuals who live in a world of dreams, who have never achieved victory on their own, suddenly declared war on us as if they have discovered a foolproof tactic to defeat them. However, wiping them out would undoubtedly come at a great cost, it said.
If the Meiteis declare war on us, ZORO said, it is our inherent right and responsibility to defend ourselves.
ZORO urged the Government of India to take decisive action and hold those responsible for instigating hostilities by declaring war against an entire tribe accountable for their actions.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128