With the intention of documenting the recent development related to political demand of the Kuki community in Manipur, the Press Statement which was released by the President of Kuki National Organisation on August 10, 2016 is translated into Zou language as it shows a new chapter in the political movement of the Kuki people.
Photo Caption: After of lull of more than 10 years, the Central Government initiated the first ever political dialogue with the United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO) on June 15, 2016 in New Delhi. The political talk at New Delhi was chaired by Satyendra Garg, IPS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs in the presence of Brig Prasad, Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), Col Amit Tewatia, DGMI, Lt Col Pankaj Shar-ma, Director General Military Operations (DGMO). Manipur State Government was represented by Dr J Suresh Babu, Addl Chief Secretary (Home). The six-member representative of United People’s Front (UPF) was led by Aaron Kipgen, spokesperson UPF while KNO Spokesperson Seilen Haokip led another six-member representatives of the Kuki National Organization (KNO).
KNO LEH UPF POLITICAL DEMAND TOH KISAI VAIGUONTE
Manipur a Kuki nampi khantouna umtheina dingin Kuki National Organisation (KNO) in a chil apat Article 3 of the Constitution of India tungtawn in statehood tup-le-ngim in ana kinei hi. United People’s Front (UPF) in Article 244 (A) of the Indian Constitution tungtawn in 'state within a state' ahisihleh 'Tribal state' chi a tup-le-ngim un koi uh. Tup-le-ngim kibang nei ding deina toh 6 November 2012 ni'n KNO leh UPF in Dorcas Hall, New Lamka ah meeting kinei hi.
Tam meeting ah ‘Political Roadmap For the Kuki People’ a pientheina ding in UPF kungah KNO demand statehood hinanleh amin pen Zogam chilei zong khawlou ahi chi'n kana gen hi.
31 August 2015 ni'n Manipur Legislative Assembly 'Special Session' ah three contentious Bills pass in hing um a, MLAte leh MPpu in halsah in hing um hi. A jingni 1 September 2015 in Simte Youth Office ah KNO leh UPF te'n tribe leaders, social organisations, philanthropic organisaitons tel in meeting poimaw tah kineikia a, tuana statehood phutding ma kigen kia a, tam toh kiai mass movement pat dingin ngetna kibawl hi. September 2, 2015 ni'n Songel Community Hal ah meeting dang khat kinei kia a, tuanah statehood phut ding thuma kigenkhawm ki leuleu a, hinanleh New Lamka apat team mi 10 hingkuon te'n Article 244 (A) dungjui a State within a state ma Statehood (Article 3) sangin hoizaw chi'n pang uhi.
September 7, 2015 ni'n Chassad Avenue, Imphal ah Kuki Inpi Manipur, KNO, KNF (P) leh UKLF te'n meeting kinei a, tuamun ah KIM in Haipi Declaration dungjui a Statehood ma demand ding ahi chi'n gen kia leuleu uhi.
KNO leh UPF in common objective kibang a nei ding ahi chia phutna Churachandpur mipite apat ahat seng ziehin September 13, 2015 ni'n Imphal ah meeting kinei kia a, tup kibang nei ding lunggulna zieh in KNO in UPF deina bang in 'state within a state' or 'a tribal state' nget dingin pomna kinei hi.
September 15, 2015 ni'n KNO leh UPF palaite'n Naga mipite toh Tribal State ngetkhawm ding chi kikuppi deina toh Th Muivah, Gen Secretary NSCN (IM) kimupi dingin Delhi zuon uhi. UPF leh KNO te masang a The Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi te'n Th Muivah ana kimupina ua a thugen, "Mizo bus in ang nuosie ta a, tua na nei uh ahileh Tribal bus hilou, Naga bus ahi" chi thuteng UPF leh KNO palaite kungah hil in ana um hi.
Tuachi ahitaman in, UPF leh KNO palaite'n Muivah ki mupi nawnlou ding in kithukim ua, tribal state leh tribal unity pen political goal a dinga phattuom na umnawnlou ahidan chiengta mama hi. Tuaziehin Constitution of India a provision um dungjui in seperate state ma UPF leh KNO political demand dingin lemsah hita hi.
September 22, 2015 ni'n Grace Bible College ah KNO leh UPF te'n meeting dang khat kinei kia a, tuanah Delhi a zing palaite'n report bawl, guntah a houlimna nei ahinua in KNO leh UPF political demand ding a Statehood lemsah ahita hi. Tuamun ah state min dingin min 5 luikhiet in um a, hinanleh maban a genkhawm tou jel ding a koi ahi. Meeting zaw in KNO leh UPF te'n martyrte zatatna pedingin Civil Hospital lam akizottou lai in vangsiet huaitah in mipi sousangte'n ZRP lamkaipu Pu Thanglianpau inn mei in ana hal uhi. Ha 2 zaw in UPF leh KNO te'n Imphal ah meeting kinei kia a, tuamun ah Statehood demand phot ding, lawchinzaw chia a min ding thah gen dingin kithukimna ana kinei hi.
June 15, 2015 ni'n New Delhi ah KNO & UPF, Government of India leh Government of Manipur te'n 'tripartite political dialogue' masapen ana ki nei hi. Tua mun ah UPF leh KNO te'n ‘Outline Of Political Demand For Statehood’ kichi Dr Seilen Haokip, Negotiator & Spokesperson, KNO leh Aaron Kipgen, Spokesperson, UPF te'n suoi akai uh pen Government of India leh Government of Manipur kungah ana kipia hi. September 22 , 2015 ni'a Grace Bible College a kithukimna bang in ‘Outline Of Political Demand For Statehood’ ah state Min ding tellou in Statehood demand thu kigen hi. Hinanleh local media khen khat ah first tripartite dialogue toh kisai report abawlna uah state min ding thu a lungtun huoilou danin gen uhi.
‘Kuki Political Stand and Way Forward’ chi thupi tungtawn a Kuki Inpi Manipur in September 17 ni'a meeting a neina ah, sanggam-laiguizom teng sentiment huom a nasep apoimaw dan kigelna palphlet copy 1000 hawmza in um a, ka thugenna ah state min ding UPF in a henthei ding a offier ka bawl thu zong ka gentel kha hi.
(Aban ahidan chet in sunzom tai maw..................)
In conclusion, the rationale for statehood for the Kuki people:
Statehood for the Kuki people is pitched in our historical ownership of our ancestral lands. Territory and identity are intrinsically linked to our indigenity. According to the Pooyas, the traditional literature of the Meitei people, Kuki dates back to 33 AD. Therefore, Kukis are indigenous people, and that ownership of our ancestral lands is inalienable, is incontrovertible.
The forthcoming year 2017 marks the first centenary of the Kuki Rising, 1917-1919 , also referred to as The Anglo-Kuki War by late Dr TS Gangte or The Kuki Rebellion by Col Shakespear. This centennial occasion is a tremendous testimony of our forefathers’ shared identity Kuki, their noble sacrifice and tenacity to preserve people and territory against the mighty British imperial power. It is an opportunity to celebrate our shared heritage in a manner befitting our forebears’ sacrifice. Let us not dishonour those who lived and died as Kukis. A change in identity severs our blood ties with them, which is sacrilege. Such illustrious history at our disposal, if duly taken on board by our people, should secure our political present and establish a desired future. It would also dispel any external threat. No Bills, three or four or five etc would possibly deprive our people from our lands as Kukis.
However, an alternative nomenclature, e.g. Zomi, which is of nascent origin (1980s) with credit to late Pu T Gougin, idealistic as the terminology may appear, it presents inherent risks of providing credence to the allegations made by some Nagas and some Meiteis that we are foreigners. Pu Gougin conceptualised Zomi as an umbrella terminology to unite Kuki, Chin and Mizo. If Zomi is to form a separate community represented by a section of our people extracted from Kuki, Chin and Mizo, which it is, under the circumstance, it would tantamount to political suicide. It would also raise eyebrows over suspicion of ‘the foreign hand that don the red blanket’ at play, stoking the flames of nomenclature to create division within us. Enough evidence exists of this vile effort being fuelled and entertained by certain elements. A neighbour divided cannot be a good neighbour for any entity. Peaceful co-existence is a reality; it is result of a people at peace within their group, which enables them to live in peace with others, too. Therefore, receptivity to divisive scheming might benefit the few, but would be potentially detrimental to the ethnic community and their immediate neighbours. Such an eventuality ought to be prevented at any cost.
Prof Lal Dena posted on WhatsApp: ‘… Every ethnic group has a common name or common nomenclature, a myth of common ancestry, shared historical memories (events and celebration, heroes or other common experiences), common culture, defined by language or religion or customs, link with a geographical homeland, and a sense of common cause of solidarity among members of the ethnic group. The basic hypothesis of this paper is therefore that the Kuki, possessing all these basic ingredients of ethnicity, is in the active process of nationality formation.’ Prof Lal Dena’s hypothesis is clearly substantiated by our forefathers, whose unity and oneness as an indivisible ethnic people, created the historic resistance to colonialism in ‘The Kuki Rising, 1917-1919’. Under no other nomenclature, other than Kuki, do we have a stake in history to claim territory on the basis of unquestionable indigenity.
Therefore, despite our glorious heritage, being sensitive to the feelings of those resistant to Kuki, and in the interest of the public at large, at the outset of KNO’s inception, I proposed the terminology Zal’en-gam (freedom land), which is impartial by not referring to a specific nomenclature. However, for the sake of unity, with regard to the naming of our state, the KNO offers this privilege to the UPF.
Thank you!
(PS Haokip)
President, Kuki National Organisation
Zale'n-gam
MANMASI
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OFFICE OF THE
KUKI NATIONAL ORGANISATION
GOVERNMENT OF ZALE’N-GAM
Ref No: ZG/KU 01-01/16
Dated Manmasi, 10 August 2016
Source: Tribal Unity WhatsApp Group
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