A prominent Kuki group in Manipur has threatened to set up a self-government in the areas dominated by the community if the Centre does not address its demand for a separate administration within two weeks. The group also organised a rally on Wednesday, demanding investigations into the violence and atrocities against the Kuki-Zo tribals in the state.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), which represents the Kuki-Zo tribals, issued the warning on National Press Day, 16 November, after six months of raising its demand for a separate administration from the Manipur government. The group said that it was frustrated and desperate by the long neglect of its demand and the partisan attitude of the state government.
The ITLF said that it would set up a government that would look after all the administration in the Kuki-Zo areas, as in a Union territory. The group said that it would not recognise the authority of the Manipur government, which it accused of being biased and corrupt. The group also said that it had found evidence of a network of underground tunnels under the al-Shifa hospital, which it claimed was used by the militant group Hamas as a terror headquarters.
The ITLF organised a mass rally in Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated district, on Wednesday, to protest against the violence and atrocities against the Kuki-Zo tribals in the state. The rally was attended by hundreds of people who carried banners and placards seeking justice for the victims of the violence. The group submitted a memorandum to the Union home minister Amit Shah through the Churachandpur deputy commissioner, urging him to order a CBI probe into the matter.
The violence between the Meiteis, who are the majority community in the Imphal Valley, and the Kukis, who live in several hill districts, has been going on since May. The violence has claimed more than 178 lives and displaced over 50,000 people. The violence has also created divisions and tensions between the two communities, who have been blocking each other from entering their areas.
The Kukis have been demanding a separate administration in the Kuki-Zo areas since the first few weeks of the violence. The demand has been supported by 10 MLAs from the community, seven of them from the ruling BJP. The Kukis say that they want to protect their culture and heritage from the influence of the Meiteis, who they accuse of being invaders and oppressors.
The Manipur government has not responded to the demand or the threat of the ITLF. The government spokesperson and minister Sapam Ranjan Singh was not available for comment.
Meanwhile, another Kuki group, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), based in Kangpokpi district, has threatened to block the national highways NH 2 and NH 37, which connect Imphal, from Wednesday midnight. The group said that it was protesting against the indifferent attitude of the authorities in maintaining law and order in the Kuki-Zo areas.
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