New Delhi: The August 17 scheduled meeting between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and two umbrella organisations of 25 Kuki insurgent groups is likely to discuss the possibilities for a separate political identity for Kuki communities in Manipur. Top leaders of the two umbrella organisations of Kuki militant groups namely United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) will sit for the second round of talks with the Home Ministry officials ever since the ethnic clash started in the State on May 3.
“We hope the talks on August 17 will have some concrete outcome over our demand for a separate Kuki administration,” said a senior leader from KNO speaking to ETV Bharat in New Delhi on Saturday. Reiterating that their demand is to make themselves free from an administration mostly run by the Meiteis, the KNO representative said, “The ongoing clash has further aggravated the scenario where Kukis are only expecting for a separate administration or a separate State.”
Meanwhile, a senior government official said that the Home Ministry was about to sign a peace accord with all the Kuki rebel organisations on May 8. However, the clash that started on May 3 has compelled the government to skip the signing process. “Ever since the clash erupted, the government is exploring some other options to sign a pact with the Kuki rebels as the Meiteis, it is learnt, will not accept any separate entity for the Kukis,” the official said.
In fact, the Government of India was going with the idea of giving an autonomous Territorial Council under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. The May 8 accord was supposed to be on the line of other autonomous councils existing in different States of the Northeast. States like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have autonomous councils.
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The autonomous councils envisage protecting and preserving tribal culture. Under the autonomous councils, the culture and identity of indigenous people can be preserved by ensuring their control over land and natural resources, as these factors to a large extent determine the lifestyle and culture of the indigenous people.
Speaking to this correspondent, convenor of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur’s Integrity (COCOMI) Khuraijam Athouba said that they will never accept anything like a separate administration for the Kukis. “Such an action like giving a separate administration for Kukis will divide Manipur. We have been living here together for decades, but the illegal infiltration from across the border has created all these disturbances,” said Athouba.
In fact, the Meitei community in the State, including Chief Minister N Biren Singh, has always been opposing the idea of a separate administration. Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee (CorCom), a conglomerate of six valley-based militant outfits, including Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), its Progressive faction (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) have called for a boycott of the 76th Independence Day celebration. It is mentionable that these seven outfits belong to the Meitei community of Manipur.
