Pronounce us as Foreigners or protect us as true Citizens of India: Kuki apex body tells GoI

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), an apex body of the Kuki community, has earnestly appealed the Centre government to put an end to the present contention in Manipur and spell out clearly whether Government of India thinks the Kukis as 'foreigners' in line with the vitriolic narratives of the Meiteis or as 'true citizens' of India.

Dismayed by the incessant terming of the Kukis as foreigners or otherwise illegal immigrants by the State government, the Kuki Inpi Manipur said: "The centre government must answer now; pronounce us as 'foreigners' or otherwise protect us as 'true citizens' of the country and save us from the raging attacks of the Meiteis against our people and our land."

A statement issued on Monday by Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary Information & Publicity, KIM, stated that the ruthless attacks of the Meiteis against the Kukis in connivance with the State government, who have engineered anti-constitutional organisations such as the Arambai Tenggol, Meetei Leepun and others, under the watch of the incumbent Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, and the Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Sanajaoba Leisemba, is a testament of the State government's animosity against the Kukis.

To that matter, Haokip said it is pertinent for the Kukis to question whether the Centre Government too is complicit with the State government allowing unabated attacks by the state forces against the lives of the Kuki people with weapons and ammunitions of Manipur state armories.

"The Central Government must, therefore, clearly state whether they are guided by the spiteful narratives of the Manipur Government against the Kukis to believe that the Kukis are illegal immigrants or foreigners," he said.

KIM claimed that the Kukis are the ones who have bravely fought alongside Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and were also part of the first unfurling of the tricolour in the present State of Manipur as against the Meiteis who have always portrayed secessionist leanings which is explicit in the frequent ambush of Indian Armies, banning of Bollywood movies, restriction against singing of the national anthem, etc., amongst others.

Mentioned may be made that intermittent attacks and gunfights against the Kuki-Zo communities continue unabated since the outbreak of ethnic violence in the State on May 3. The strife-torn Manipur has been devastated by the ethnic clashes and the violence has now completed more than three months without any respite; thereby, claiming more than 150 lives lost and hundreds suffered grave injuries with thousands of people internally displaced.

Heavy gunfights, vandalism, arsoning, mob unrest and all forms of violence still exist as the two warring communities are at logger-heads; and peace and normalcy remains a far cry.