IMPHAL, Dec 3 (Newmai News Network): The Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the two umbrella organisations of Kuki militant outfits, said today that it took note of the anxiety and desperation with which the NSCN (IM) hurriedly churned up another set of wishful historical conjectures in response to the KNO’s dignified statement of facts.
“Whereas it is already evident to the discerning public that the NSCN (IM) is an organization knotted in its own contradictions, the least of which include launching a genocide on neighboring communities (Kukis) under their “Nagalim for Christ” movement where the real Christ preached love for neighbors, it is felt that the pretenders and their bag of lies need to be exposed in the interest of truth, justice and genuine information for the unsuspecting public,” the KNO said.
In a press communique made available to Newmai News Network tonight by its information secretary Thangjasong Karong, it said that first, as has been stated earlier, the KNO is never against the NSCN (IM) and its objectives as long as they contain their greed for Kuki traditional lands.
“True, the NSCN (IM) had, in their insatiable greed for neighbors’ land, orchestrated the butchering of more than 900 innocent Kuki villagers (mostly helpless women, children and the elderly) and forcibly uprooted more than 350 Kuki villages during their five years long genocide campaign against Kukis during the 1990s. Also true, that the NSCN (IM) stands for greed and hatred aimed at maximizing Naga claims to land at the expense and beyond the kindness of neighboring Kukis. Even so, the KNO reiterate hereby that in the spirit of peaceful co-existence and dignified mutual prosperity, the moment the NSCN (IM) returns to the path of political righteousness and shun its politics of greed inspired hatred, the KNO shall extend a loving hand to them”, the KNO communique added.
Secondly, the map shared with the media by Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), showing Kuki traditional territory within present day Manipur is not ‘bogus’, but a genuine map covering present Kuki inhabited areas and shared between all Kuki political organizations. The NSCN(IM) may like to look up the meaning of the words they use, alongside pondering on the sustainability of their politics of hatred, the KNO further stated.
Recalling the events, the KNO said, “The NSCN (IM)’s standard concoction of R. Suisa helping some displaced Kukis in 1957 is another gem from the wishful historical collections of the organization. For the uninitiated, Kuki territory extends deep into present day Myanmar. Following the British division of Kuki territory by incorporating parts of it each to India, then Burma and then Pakistan, and consequent to the seizure of power by the military in Burma in the 1962 military coup in that country, Kukis along with other minorities were persecuted for demanding democratic self governance. The military there launched the infamous Khadawmi Operation to denationalize minorities in 1967. Some Kuki villages were forcibly displaced from that part of Kuki territory and had to take shelter in Kuki territories on the Indian side of the border. For the Kukis, they were internally displaced within Kuki territory, not refugees, as the NSCN (IM) would like to believe. That R. Suisa, representing outer Manipur between 1957
to 1962 should help Kukis displaced in 1967 as an M.P. betrays the degree of distortion the NSCN (IM) propaganda machine should learn to avoid in future in their own interest. This fact tells on the authenticity of the Government of India Memorandum numbers (Memo No.P3/9/66 and Memo No.305/g/242/UK/3845)quoted by the NSCN (IM) release. If indeed, Shri R. Suisa, as representing the outer Manipur constituency in Parliament had facilitated some relief to some needy Kukis in 1957, he was not doing any special favor to anyone except nursing his constituents as a duty. Nevertheless, the KNO conveys a belated appreciation for such possible dutifulness by our then representative in Parliament”.
The Kuki outfit alson said that the advisory “the impropriety of playing with history will never stand the test of time” by the NSCN (IM) in their press communiqué must be taken seriously, as they speak from experience, however bitter. It is sad that one of the longest revolutionary movement should realize such important truths so late in the day. The NSCN (IM) statement also referred to many Kuki organizations “reluctant to extend statutory recognition to KNO for its brand of politics that is antagonistic to the mutual interests of the Kukis and the Nagas as well”.
“In this context, the KNO would humbly submit that ‘statutory recognition’ can only be extended by established statute/law/constitution of a recognized state/nation, and urges the NSCN (IM) to limit their distorting expertise to history alone and not to venture into trying to distort an established language like English if what they are trying to suggest is that some captive Kuki organizations they hold under their ‘Statute’ are scared of them to support KNO’s benign yet uncompromising stance on Kuki rights,” alleged the KNO.
“Also, let the NSCN (IM) be informed that Kuki Mastery over our lands is not altered by the mere fact that some of our kinsmen were internally displaced within our territories by a Military Regime imposed in one part of our territory,” it stated.
It then wishes the NSCN-IM and said, “Lastly, comic and inappropriate as the forum may be for English lessons, yet in the interest of proper communication and comprehensible public discourse, it may be humbly pointed out that “unethical practice” is best explained by acts of genocide spurred by greed, distortion of history and the like. The KNO extends its best wishes to NSCN (IM) in its political dialogue with Government of India and in fact urges the government of India to recognize Naga rights and aspirations in the spirit of the need to extend the right of self-governance to each political community and with the same passion with which it urges them to recognize Kuki rights and aspirations. Let peace, justice and love prevail with approaching Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace.”