Guwahati: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body in the region, stated that the Nagas are taken aback by the “blatant lies, lopsided history, and fabricated information” contained in every statement and memorandum issued by the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur.
These actions are tantamount to distorting Naga history and insulting the Naga people, the UNC claimed.
The UNC’s Information & Publicity Secretary, in a press statement, asserts that regarding land issues, the Nagas’ opposition to the creation of new districts in 2016 remains unresolved.
“The districts carved out from Senapati and Chandel districts are seen as products of the Congress government’s appeasement policy carried out in the name of administrative convenience. As a result, the demand for separate administration that includes the so-called new two districts is met with opposition. The Nagas’ stance against this remains unchanged”, the statement added.
It added that the bifurcation of the so-called two districts is an issue mainly concerning the Kukis, not the Zo people. The Kuki-Zo people’s representations to the Union Government, Israeli Prime Minister, European Parliament, UNO, etc., are built on a false territorial foundation and attempt to deceive these authorities.
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The statement further read that in the context of Manipur, the term “Kukis” first emerged sometime between 1830-1840, making the reference to “Kuki hills” in the fourth paragraph of the mentioned memo to the Prime Minister of Israel non-existent and a fabricated concept.
“Historically, the arrival of the British in the History of Manipur brought about numerous unwanted changes. One of the problems inherited from British colonial rule is the issue of the Kuki tribe being introduced into the Naga hills. As a mercenary tribe, the British found the Kukis quite useful due to their lack of attachment to any specific land and landscape”, they said.
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The statement also read, “This characteristic made them instrumental in suppressing the indigenous communities of Manipur. The UNC aims to clarify that the recent attempt by the Kukis to distort the history of the Kuki rebellion of 1917-1919, labelling it as the Anglo-Kuki War to validate their envisioned Kuki homeland within the Naga ancestral homeland, is a clear example of their habitual deception. It should be noted that the Kuki Rebellion of 1917-1919 involved acts of murder, house torching, plundering, and enslavement of women and children from the indigenous Naga community in Ukhrul, Chandel, and Tamenglong in Manipur. It was not a war but rather a rebellion against colonial power, as there is no record of the Anglo-Kuki War in India’s history (MHA records).”
The UNC further warned that the Nagas will not remain silent on this issue. “Despite all this, the Nagas believe that rectifying these wrongs is never too late”, the UNC said.