Peaceful Mass Rally to Expedite Kuki-Zo Political Solution
Thousands of protesters from the Kuki-Zo tribal community marched through the streets in Lamka (Churachandpur), Manipur on 24 June 2024 demanding a political solution to end the year- long ethnic violence in Manipur.
The rally, organized by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), started at Lamka Public Ground in the center of town at 11 am and ended at the Wall of Remembrance, a memorial for almost 200 tribals killed during the violence.
Protesters held placards like “No Political Solution, No Peace”, “Union Territory for the Kuki-Zo People Right Now!”, “Forced Union With Meiteis Will Not Last” and “We Want UT Under Article 239A”.
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| The Telegraph | 25-06-2024 |
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| The Hindu | 25-06-2024 |
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| The Hindu | 25-06-2024 |
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| Editorial, The Hindu | 25-06-2024 |
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| The New Indian Express | 25-06-2024 |
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| Eastern Chronicle | 25-06-2024 |
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| The Hindu | 25-06-2024 |
Accident dan ahi leh Auto khat leh Activa ki phu kha hi un gen uhi. Tami gel tan in mipi'n accident namun a buaipi lel lel u chi thu kimu.
~ ZOLENGTHE WHATSAPP MEDIA
'SUPPLEMENTATION & RECTIFICATION ON CHRONOLOGY OF 77 LONG YEARS KUKILAND DEMAND FOR KUKI-ZO PEOPLE'
No.127/04//WKZIC/(PR)/23-24: This supplementation clarification statement is made in response to the 'THE INDIAN EXPRESS' issue of 16 May 2023, and updated on 27 August 2023, under the caption "demand for a Kuki homeland, it's history and rationale" by esteemed writer, Esha Roy, stating as Kuki Homeland movement starting in 1980s, and some others in Social Media as 1960s is clarified and rectified as below:
The chronology and stages of 77 long years struggle for Kukiland State under Article 3 of the Indian constitution for Kuki-Zo people is briefly chronolised as under:
- Stage -1: 1947 to 1987: Our Legitimate Constitutional demand for Kukiland State under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution began from 1946-47 by the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) founded on 26 October 1946, based on Kuki Hills (1852- 1949) by S.M Javum, President KNA and team to PM Pandit Jawarlal Nehru in 1947. Subsequently, by P.C Misao (1951-56), S.L Lunneh (1956-61), Paokhokam Kipgen (1961-64), and Thangkhopao Singsit (1964-67) submitted various Memoranda to succeeding Prime Ministers of Govt. of India such as PM Lal Bahadur Sastri, PM Indira Gandhi, Charan Singh, PM Rajiv Gandhi, and PM Chandra Sekhar (1990-91) to PM Manmohan Singh (2004-2014) by Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) for granting Kukiland state under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution.
- Stage-2: Kuki-Mizo State @ MNF Mizoram Movement-1960s: On the 15-18 January, 1965, at Kawnpui, Songpi-Lamka, all together 13 Kuki-Zo Oranisations signed an Agreement to fight for Mizoram State comprising of Lushai Hills Union Territory (UT) and all Kuki areas of outer Manipur Kuki Hills. After strenuous struggle for consecutive 22 years, Lushai Hills UT was granted MIZORAM Statehood on the 20 February 1987, leaving behind all Kuki areas of outer Manipur.
- Stage- 3: 1988- 2008: Kukiland State demand under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution pioneered by Kuki National Assembly (KNA) based on Kuki Hills (1852-1949) from 1946-47 was resurgent by Kuki National Front (KNF) and Kuki National Army (KNA) in 1987 and various Kuki-Zo militlant groups under the Umbrella of Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF). KNO-UPF signed a 'Suspension of Operation' (SoO) with the Indian Army in 2005, and then with Govt.of India (GoI) in 2008.
- Stage-4: 2010- 2024: Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) & National Federation of New States (NFNS): The Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) was formed on the 2nd November 2010 with Shri. Lalthalien Hmar as the founding Chairman of KSDC to articulate and champion the will of the Kuki people for a separate Kukiland State within the constitution of India under Article 3. Lalthalien Hmar was succeeded by Shri. Hejang Haokip and Shri. Khaikhohauh Gangte as the Chairman and Secretary of KSDC for consecutive two terms till date. KSDC is one of the 8th constituent members of National Federation of New States (NFNS) formed on the 15th September 2015 under the initiation of: 1). Shri. P.A Sangma MP, 2). Prof. M. Kodondaram, Chairman, Telengana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), 3). Smt. Maitreyi Pushpa, Eminent Hindi Writer, Bundelkhand, with Shri. Raja Bundela as the President of NFNS for the creation of : 1). Kukiland, 2). Vidarbha, 3). Gorkhaland, 4). Bundelkhand, 5). Bodoland, 6). Dimaragi, 7). Karbi State, 8). Twipraland respectively.
- Stage-5: 2008- 2023: Kuki militant SoO groups and GoI Continue Talks for consecutive 15 years since 2008. Finally on 31 August - 2 September 2023, an Union Territory (UT) with Legislature on Puducherry Pattern was agreed by both parties, stated reliable source.
- Stage-6: 2023 - 2024: Kuki-Meite Conflict: When an ethnic cleansing Genocide was suddenly launched by Manipur State sponsored radical ARAMBAI TENGOL and MEITEI LEEPUN on the 3rd May 2023. Public Rally and Sit-in-Protest began to take roots and various Kuki-Zo CSOs, Philanthropic Orgns, NGOs, Village Volunteers, Kuki Inpi, Zomi Council, Hmar Inpui, ITLF, WKZIC, COTU, ITAC, ZU etc etc took strenuous efforts for the realisation of Separate Administration (SA) in the form of UT under Article 394A of the Indian constitution.
- Stage-7: 2024- Mass Movement: Public Mass Movement Rally held on the 24th June 2024 in all Kuki-Zo districts of Songpi-Lamka (Ccpur), Kanggui (Kangpokpi), Pherzawl, Chandel and Tengnoupal under the joint initiation of ITLF, COTU, ITAC and Kuki Inpi respectively. Continuous Mass Rally and Public Movement to continue for State or UT with Legislature under Article 3 or 295A of the Indian Constitution.
- The writer is a Researcher and Author of the Book, "Ethnicity and Insurgency in Myanmar/Burma: A Comparative Study of the Kuki-Chin and Karen Insurgencies", ISBN: 978-1-5457-2271-8.
~ World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC)-GHQ: Songpi-Lamka, Kuki Hills, India ~
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New Delhi, June 24: A delegation of the Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (ITAC), headed by its spokesperson en route to present a memorandum to the Honorable Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah. The memorandum seeks the establishment of a Union Territory with Legislature under Article 239A for the regions inhabited by the Hmar-Kuki-Zomi communities in Manipur.
June 24, 2024: Thousands of protesters from the Kuki-Zo tribal community marched through the streets in Lamka (Churachandpur) on Monday demanding a political solution to end the year- long ethnic violence in Manipur.
The rally, organized by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), started at Lamka Public Ground in the center of town at 11 am and ended at the Wall of Remembrance, a memorial for almost 200 tribals killed during the violence.
Protesters held placards like “No Political Solution, No Peace”, “Union Territory for the Kuki-Zo People Right Now!”, “Forced Union With Meiteis Will Not Last” and “We Want UT Under Article 239A”.
ITLF Chairman
Pagin Haokip delivered
the keynote address
at the rally. Other speakers
include MLA Paolienlal Haokip,
Zo United Secretary Rev. VL Ngakthang, Zomi Council General
Secretary Pauneihlal and Kuki Inpi
Manipur Vice President Jangmang Haokip . ITLF General Secretary Muan Tombing read out the content
of the memorandum to be submitted to the Union
Home Minister Amit Shah.
The peaceful rally was organized to demand that the central government expedite the process of finding a political solution to the violence in Manipur. Tribals want the creation of a Union Territory with legislature under article 239A of the constitution. Similar rallies were also held in Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Pherzawl districts on the same day.
ITLF, an umbrella group for tribal bodies, says the government should accelerate the process of finding a political solution because:
1.
After more than a year of killings and displacements, there is no improvement in the security situation,
with citizens at risk of being killed every day. In the past few weeks, two
tribals were killed by Meitei miscreants in
Jiribam district. Another was abducted, and his whereabouts are still unknown.
2.
Homes
and properties of tribals are still being burned and destroyed, one year after
the start of the conflict. To date, almost
200 tribals have been killed
and more than 7,000 homes destroyed. In the recent flareup of violence in Jiribam, around 50 homes and shops belonging
to tribals were burned down.
3.
For
more than a year, supplies of all goods, including essential items, have been
blocked from entering tribal areas. Even basic hospital items like cotton swabs often run out. This has severely
affected the quality of life for tribals.
4.
All
development activities, including maintenance and repair of public
infrastructure, have grinded to a halt for the past year in tribal areas, while all Meitei-controlled valley areas enjoy state patronage.
5.
The valley-based population even resorts
to destroying public
utilities like electricity, denying us our basic rights.
6.
With
tribals unable to travel to the state capital, the Meitei-controlled state
government is using the opportunity to conduct mass job recruitment, knowing fully well that tribals
will not be able to avail themselves of the opportunity. Many job opportunities have already been lost for tribal youths,
showing that the state government is openly partisan.
7.
Tribal
students have also been adversely affected, especially those in technical
lines, as all major centers of learning and all head offices are located in the
capital.
8.
As a minority community with fewer numbers and even fewer resources to protect ourselves, we
are under constant
threat of being
attacked by militant
groups like Arambai
Tenggol and the proscribed UNLF, who have access to a large
arsenal of weapons
bought from across
the border or looted from state armories.
They have openly stated that their aim is to either kill all
of us or drive us out of our lands.
The rally was concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the Union Home Minister through the Deputy
Commissioner of Churachandpur, Manipur by ITLF leaders led by the Chairman
and General Secretary.
~ ITLF
Halleluiah Chorus
"You can burnt our church but you can't stop singing to the Lord!"
~ Karenni
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