MEMORANDUM
Dated : 29th November, 2023
To : Shri Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, Government of India, New Delhi
From : Zo United
Subject : Demand
for Separate Administration for Kuki-Zo
kindred tribes of Manipur
Hon’ble Minister,
Nearly seven months have elapsed since the onset of the ethnic cleansing
of Kuki-Zo People in Manipur, yet a
resolution remains elusive. Therefore, it is imperative to underscore to the
central government that this
unfortunate episode was not a haphazard eruption of violence but rather the outcome of a meticulously orchestrated
scheme by Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his militant associates, including Arambai Tenggol, Meitei Leepun,
and radical Meitei intellectuals. Their
collective endeavours appear geared towards the perpetration of a majoritarian
agenda, necessitating due attention
and redressal.
 |
| Pic: Submission of Memorandum for Union Home Minister to DC Lamka by Zo United on 29-11-2023. |
Notwithstanding the pivotal role played by the Manipur Tribal community
in India's struggle for independence
and their significant contributions to Netaji's INA (evidenced by 80 percent of
the martyrs commemorated at the INA
memorial complex in Moirang being from Kuki-Zo kindred tribes), an alarming narrative has unfolded in 2023. The Chief
Minister and the Meitei media have initiated a pernicious propaganda campaign, characterizing the tribal populace
as "illegal immigrants" and systematically
influencing the Meitei community to perceive the state, with its three million inhabitants, as imperilled
by an inundation of undocumented migrants.
The "War on Drugs" extended its focus to encompass Kuki-Zo
kindred tribes, as both the Chief Minister and the Meitei media characterized this community as "poppy cultivators." This disinformation campaign
has had the consequential effect of radicalizing the entire Meitei community.
Subsequent to these events, the Chief Minister
proceeded with an abrupt and selective enforcement of the Indian Forest Act of
1927, specifically targeting regions inhabited by Kuki-Zo kindred tribes with the aim of land
appropriation. The Meitei community, in tandem, intensified its advocacy for Scheduled Tribe status,
thereby contributing to the heightened tensions leading up to the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023.
During the outbreak of clashes, it is noteworthy that Kuki-Zo refrained
from causing harm to any Meitei
civilians in the hills. In stark contrast, Meiteis perpetrated acts of violence
resulting in the tragic loss of life
of nearly a hundred innocent
civilians in Imphal
and the surrounding valley.
The Coordinating Committee
on Manipur Integrity
(COCOMI), a conglomerate of Meitei organizations, proclaimed a "National
War" against our community. Additionally, Pramot Singh, Chief of Meitei Leepun, issued menacing
threats of obliteration during a televised interview. Regrettably, we experienced continued attacks and loss of life,
with state forces aligned with the Meitei
community permitted to instil terror among our people in Moreh and the
neighbouring areas.
Incidents attributed to tribals
prompt swift government investigations and subsequent arrests, contrasting
sharply with the lack of commensurate actions when tribals themselves are
victimized. Perpetrators from the
Meitei community, exemplified by figures like Arambai Tenggol, persist in unrestricted movement, openly advocating
for the genocide of Kuki-Zo through images and videos disseminated on social media. These occurrences underscore our
contention regarding a biased government whose actions seem influenced by the preferences of the majority
community.
The imperative for a ‘separate administration’ arises from the following urgent
considerations:
1) Kuki-Zo
kindred tribes have been forcibly displaced from the capital, Imphal and the
affluent valley regions, rendering
any prospect of return unfeasible. Crucial governmental and private educational institutions, technical
establishments, healthcare facilities, administrative offices, and the sole airport in the state, all are located
in Imphal, thereby becoming inaccessible to our community. Furthermore, our connectivity to the national rail
corridor has been severed due to the loss of access
to the connecting highway.
2) The state
government, in collusion with all its key organs, and the police who are the
law enforcement apparatus, have unequivocally aligned
themselves with the Meiteis. The state Commando units have actively spearheaded
assaults on tribal villages. Additionally, the prospects of equitable treatment
in matters of government recruitment, job placements, and other governmental engagements appear increasingly bleak for our community.
3) NGOs
involved in developmental initiatives, assisted by the Chief Minister, have
been diverting funds designated for
tribal development. In a recent instance on October 23, 2023 the Chief Minister
sought approval from Union Tribal Affairs Minister
Arjun Munda for six projects,
collectively valued at crores of rupees, to allocate to Meitei NGOs
based in Imphal. Significantly, none of these organizations are dedicated to the welfare
of the tribal community.
4) The State's
Minister of Education has explicitly stated his intention to expunge a chapter pertaining to "The Kuki" from educational curricula, a conspicuous endeavour
aiming at obliterating tribal history from the academic discourse.
5) The
government is overtly engaging in discriminatory practices against students
hailing from Kuki-Zo kindred
tribes.
In the month of August, a considerable number of Psychology students at
Rayburn College faced unjust academic
evaluations, receiving either single-digit scores or, in some cases, no marks
at all in their examinations. Notably,
one student even incurred
a negative two (-2) in a specific
subject.
Furthermore, displaced tribal medical students encountered obstruction in
attempting their MBBS Phase-1 examinations at Churachandpur Medical
College (CMC) under Manipur University, despite the National Medical Commission raising no objections.
In stark contrast, Meitei students from CMC, who sought refuge in Imphal, were granted permission to undertake their examinations in the
capital.
This prevailing situation puts an entire generation of students from
Kuki-Zo kindred tribes at risk, as the influence of the Meiteis extends
to the governance of all educational institutions and boards.
6) Government officials
from tribal communities, including our Members
of the Legislative Assembly
(MLAs), are presently impeded from accessing Imphal, rendering them incapable
of fulfilling their duties on
behalf of their constituencies.
7) Regrettably, there has been a complete
absence of assistance from the state government. Moreover, essential aid from the central
government, including provisions such as food and other necessities, faces obstruction, necessitating redirection
through the neighbouring state of Mizoram due to impediments imposed
by Meitei groups, preventing the transit of materials to tribal regions.
8) The obstruction caused by Meitei groups on the highway leading to the mainland
has rendered it impossible for us to dispatch any
documents or parcels through either the governmental or private postal systems.
9) The
collective sum of tribal districts possesses only a solitary fully equipped
government hospital, namely the
district hospital situated in Churachandpur. The shortages, insufficiency of crucial medicines and medical apparatus
afflicts the foundational medical facilities within tribal regions.
10) Thousands of government-issued weapons,
along with lakhs of ammunition, have been disseminated among the Meitei populace
residing in Imphal and its vicinity. Regrettably, these armaments are being
deployed for activities such as hunting
and fatal assaults against tribal communities. Disturbingly, entities like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun
have overtly proclaimed their relentless pursuit, asserting their intent of not
resting until they eliminate all individuals
belonging to the Kuki-Zo kindred tribes or forcibly expel them from the state
of Manipur.
11) The tribal populace
of Manipur has been severely
deprived of our entitlement rights
with regard to resource allocation, which is reproduced as below:
|
S/No
|
Year
|
In Crore
|
Valley in Cr.
|
Hills in Cr.
|
|
1
|
2017 – 18.
|
Rs. 5,000.
|
Rs. 4,892.
|
Rs. 108.
|
|
2
|
2018 – 19.
|
Rs. 4,900.
|
Rs. 4,750.
|
Rs. 150.
|
|
3
|
2019 – 20.
|
Rs. 5,000.
|
Rs. 4,880.
|
Rs. 120.
|
|
4
|
2020 – 21.
|
Rs. 7,000.
|
Rs. 6,959.
|
Rs. 41.
|
|
Total
|
Rs. 21,900.
|
Rs. 21,481.
|
Rs. 419.
|
These unequivocally serves as a compelling indicator
that cohabitation between
the two communities is no longer viable, and the prospect of tribal
individuals being accorded equal status as citizens
within Manipur, as enshrined by Article
21 of the Indian Constitution, appears bleak.
The persistent flow of blood and the pervasive discrimination endured have engendered an insurmountable
level of distrust and animosity between the Kuki-Zo kindred tribes and the
Meitei community. The only solution
to alleviate these tensions is the establishment of a separate
administration for our community.
Submitted by the ZO UNITED in pursuit of Separate Administration for
Kuki-Zo People.
(Rev. Dr. V.L. NGHAKTHANG) ( ALBERT
RENTHLEI )
Secretary Convener
ZO UNITED ZO UNITED
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