IMPHAL, Dec 17: A three day conference of the village chiefs of the Saikhul block organised by the Kuki Inpi and Kuki Student Orgainisation under the theme, “unity and strength,” concluded today at Modern English Higher Secondary School Saikhul.
Speaking at the conference, general secretary Kuki Movement for Human Rights, KMHR Dr Satkai Chongloi expressed his displeasure over the failure of the state government and the centre to look into the Naga-Kuki ethnic violence in 1990’s when 900 Kukis were killed and more than 360 villages were destroyed.
He said that different communities had settled together in the state with peace and solidarity from time immemorial, but an organisation called Manipur United Naga Council, without any known reasons declared war on the kukis on October 22, 1992.
The Kuki Inpi which was revived at the time had called for talks with the Nagas but it was unsuccessful as the NSCN-IM called off the meeting, he said.
The Inpi then asked for help to the state government, Nagaland government, Assam government and the centre but their call for help was not heeded, he continued.
He further said that t Kukis have submitted more than 60 memorandums to the centre and numerous PIL filed but there has been no response from the government till date.
Reverend Rehang Chothea who spoke at the function said that the kukis have settled in the state as a nomenclature since 1821 and have their own history of rice custom, tradition, culture.
He further said the time has come for all the different communities of the state to have an open public dialogue to sort out misunderstandings amongst each other and for bringing a solution.