Act or back out, UCM
Sir,
The people’s resolution to boycott NH 39 is welcome. If the illegal taxes are not collected from Manipur’s vehicles prices will be cheaper. But some drivers and transporters have been coming along NH 39. If consumer prices are beyond the reach of the common people they have nothing to worry. When passengers are looted they have nothing to lose since the drivers and transporters are never forced to pay compensations.
Our police have also become active in escorting the trucks to Imphal from Mao. These policemen were not seen during blockade. They encourage traffic movement since they are also collecting illegal tax like their Nagaland counterpart. The UCM and others should pull up these a few drivers and truckers who are going against the wishes of the people. Along the NH 39 they get free meals and liquor from the hotels. They also adulterate petrol with kerosene or make two LPG cylinders out of one near some hotels in Assam and Nagaland. They have also business contacts since they have been selling fuel and LPG along the NH 39.
These anti-people drivers and the transporters of some non-Manipuri traders ought to be restrained. If the UCM cannot do this much it will become the laughing stock once again. It must be remembered that its call to boycott NH 39 after the 52 day strike some years ago was ignored by the drivers. If goods are transported along NH 53 prices will come down. Act now, UCM or back out.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Shimray
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Letter to the Hon’ble CM of Manipur
Hon’ble Sir,
It needs no emphasis to say that water occupies top priority in the present day circumstances. It has been for long time.
At present, the Government and the people are trying their best to tap the water resources, however, as the year goes on, the requirement multiplies.
In this regard, with the desire to help to some extent, a proposal is submitted to examine the pros and cons in the following.
The Kongba river touches four or five constituencies bringing with it devastation and relief. If this river flows regularly, the Scarcity of water may be lessened to some extent. However, the catchment area for this river is very small.
As the catchment area from where this river starts is small, in the middle of the year the flow of water is almost nil and it became a dumping ground for solid waste etc. An examination and a survey may be made whether it is possible to divert the stream coming through from are area in between the Senapati and the Ukhrul Districts towards Lairou so that it may join the Imphal and the Kongba by fixing mechanical switch in the area where it flows to the Barak. In that case, it will go a long way in supply of water through Kongba and Imphal in the dry season.
The mater has been brought up to the Manipur Legislative Assembly by Shri Atomba Ngairambamcha when Shri Th Devendra was the Speaker of the Assembly.
Yours faithfully,
Atomba Ngairambamcha
Former Minister (Transport & Labour) Manipur
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Nandita Haksar must tender apology to Kukis:Lunkim
By Letter
(This is a letter written to Nandita Haksar by T Lunkim, Chairman of Kumhur, of which copy was sent to Sumit Chakravarty, Editor of Mainstream weekly)
Ms Nandita Haksar
Your article about The Constitutional Crisis of Manipur published by Mainstream Weekly, Vol XLVIII, No 26, June 19, 2010, has been forwarded to me and I have given a thorough reading. I appreciate your painful awareness of the “divisions within the Manipur Society.” Even as I appreciate your painfully written article, I am convinced that it is bound to cause a disastrous effect unless you clarify your viewpoints which are more or less stemmed out from your ignorance about Manipur and her citizens. As such you are urgently required to clarify the following points by tending an apology to the people less your painfully written article will be like adding fuel to a burning fire. Here are a few serious points you should have been aware of before writing the article.
1. In para 5, you said that five nationalities live in Manipur. However you seem to conceal or left out the original inhabitants (indigenous people) namely – (1) the Meiteis, (2) the Kukis and (2) the Nagas. You should have said that all others like Muslims, Nepalis are illegal immigrants, who later on secured citizenship. For your information please see the attached 2001 census figure in which – (1) Meiteis are the largest, (2) Kukis are second largest and (3) Nagas come to third, and (4) others follows.
2. In para 7 of your article you said, “There are five Hill Districts … ” whereas there are six Hill Districts, Sadar Hills being the sixth, which equally enjoyed all administrative benefits, infrastructures, members, staffs, etc. etc~ Please be informed by the Ministry of Home Affairs of India which has listed six Hill Districts in Manipur.
3. In para 8, you said that “Ukhrul district is the home of the Tangkhul Nagas; Tamenglong is the home to the Zeliangrong group of tribes; Senapati district is the home of four Naga tribes: Mao, Maram, Thangal, Poumai; Chandel is home of eight Naga tribes: Aimol, Anal, Lamkang, Tarao, Kom, Maring, Mayon and Monsang.” In fact these eight tribes of Chandel are Kukis who have been cheated into believing the NSCN (I-M)’s false propaganda that Nagas will become Independent from India. Thence, they were forced to or opted to become Nagas. You have also completely concealed or left out the Kuki people living in all the six hill districts of Manipur. Please see the following 2001 Census report:
I presumed you must have seen the reality and be quite aware of since you have spent many years in Manipur. Then how is that you have totally ignored to include the Kuki people, the second largest population who have been living together with other communities from time immemorial. What have become of two centuries of Kuki war fought against the invading British on behalf of all indigenous people including Nagas in the northeastern India and northwestern Burma? You have again failed to mention the last Anglo-Kuki War of 1917-1919. The Kukis continued to oppose the colonial rule by fighting, together with Indian National Army during World War II. The living proof is the 300 Kuki INA pensioners we have in Manipur State.
4. You also said in para 9, “The fifth Community is of Indians,” Here, do you want to portrait the other “four communities” as non-Indians? If so, you are siding with the secessionist movements in India. You need to explain whose side you are on.
5. Under your headline “Now the Constitutional crisis has become full blown. What are the issues?”
Referring to Issue No.2, I am to enlighten you that there are 20 ST/ Reserved seats in the 60. seats Manipur Legislative Assembly. In your article you have stated as if the 10 seats are exclusively reserved as Naga seats. However, in the 20 MLA seats reserved for all the tribal people, the Kukis often got more than 10 seats. So the 20 MLA seats are not for Nagas or Kukis alone. The same thing goes to the one ST reserved MP (Member of Parliament) is alternately goes either to Kuki or Naga. At present the sitting member is Mr.
4. Thangso Kuki. This is also a seat meant for Hill people. It is neither for Nagas nor for Kukis alone. You failed to present the truth.
There are also plenty of discrepancies in your statements when you said, “Ibobi sent his criminal force … ” You may have to answer to this in a proper court of law, if challenged.
Therefore, please clarify on these false propagandas and tender an apology to the Kuki people, within ten days’ time to avoid further misunderstandings which could both affected the Indigenous people and those persons in the decision making positions. More importantly it could further lead to mutual misunderstanding among the indigenous people in the northeastern India, which have become a killing field. Please don’t forget that Kukis are observing· the whole situation and imploring the Government to do justice for all. Loyal citizens’ duty is to ask those decision makers to restore peace and harmony. This is what the Kukis have been doing thus far. We expect favourable response from the Government. Please never forget that Manipur is one state and the state has never been divided as Kuki, Naga or Meitei inhabited areas. Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas have been living peacefully from time immemorial. The cause of the present turmoil is something every responsible citizen wants to find out. T e Kuki people will leave no stone unturned to reveal the cause.
Hill district wise land holding of Nagas and Kukis
Sl. Name of District Land holding in percentage
Naga Kuki
1.Churachandpur Nil 100%
2.Chandel 25% 75%
3.Senapati 75% 25%
4.Sadar Hills 10% 90%
5.Tamenglong 65% 35%
6.Ukhrul 70% 30%
Manipur population as per census 2001
Kukis 4,23,227
Meitei Hindus 13,6,1,521
Meitei Muslims 1,67,201
Nagas 2,94,585
Others 1,46,096
Total Manipur population 23,88,631
T.LUnkim
KUMHUR
Source: Hueiyen News Service
A dispassionate view of the blockade
Sir,
It has been more than 60 days, since the All Naga Student’s Association of Manipur (ANSAM) enforced an economic blockade beginning from 11 April 2010, this year. Their justification for doing so was that the impending local body elections would suppress their tribal rights, putting councils inferior to Panchayats in the Valley. It intensified the blockade when the State Government declared that it would not allow NSCN (IM) leader Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his ancestral village in Somdal in Ukhrul district of Manipur. Whereas a symbolic blockade of a day or two to highlight the issue and express their sentiments goes well within the peaceful democratic practice, a prolonged economic blockade has deeper implications and ramifications.
Can the economic blockade on the only NH-39 which is a lifeline to 2.5 million people be justified for achieving anybody’s political aims ? To make matters worse, the alternative NH-53 which connects Imphal with Silchar in Assam was also blocked by the Naga Student’s Assn. Being the leader of an armed political group does not place anyone above the law. Mr Muivah has a different status only in Nagaland because of the CF agreement with the GoI. Elsewhere in country he is like any other citizen on whom there are many pending court cases. He is answerable for more than 2000 killings in Manipur in 1990′s, in addition to 200 odd in Nagaland and Manipur prior to that. There are other insurgent groups leaders who are living outside the country, who are being caught and being tried under law and declared detenus under NSA too. Won’t they claim similar treatment as Th Muivah expects from the Government ? The law of the land applies equally to all and Muivah is bound to be arrested and put on trial for the offences pending against him. We are living in a civilised society, Mr Muivah so civic rules have to apply.
There is an acute shortage of all essential commodities resulting in sky rocketing of prices. The hospitals in Imphal are bereft of medicines, even common antibiotics. There is an acute shortage of life saving drugs and oxygen cylinders. Petrol is being sold at rate of Rs 170/- per litre and some commercial ventures promise ten litres of petrol for free, if a refrigerator is bought from them. An LPG cylinder costs up to Rs 1500/- and a kg of coarse rice costs Rs 50/-. The common man with his per capita income much below the ones published by the Ministry of planning is the worst hit of all.
It has been very naive on Mr Muivah’s part to expect that he would be welcomed with open arms. If he is serious to visit his birth place the wiser thing to do is to express a desire to open dialogue process with all the communities of the State. For their part, the Meiteis also have to practice “reciprocal restraint’ and refrain from painting the Nagas as their enemies. If Muivah proclaims himself as an advocate of peace, he should practice peaceful means like self restraint and Gandhian philosophy rather than forcing people to support blockade of the Highway and other protests through the fear of his armed NSCN (IM) cadres lurking in the background. He must know that Gandhi had no stooges like the NSCN (IM) to conduct his peaceful activities. What he used was the power of his character and support of his people and not armed cadres like NSCN (IM) lurking in the background.
Trade between the hill districts and the Imphal valley is also critical. The State of Manipur has always been constricted by economic blockades in the past decade. Muivah while performing such acts should realise that even the Nagas living in Manipur are adversely affected by his actions. The Government may remove the so called ‘taken note of camps’ within Manipur as NSCN (IM) and Muivah have indulged in gross violation of CF rules.
What have you achieved Muivah ? You have become even more notorious. A situation has come where even ‘your own people’ will close their doors to you if, they come to know that you have plans to ‘visit’ their village. The communities of Manipur have also shown you that you cannot create a divide amongst them. So better think of good of all community as a whole for peaceful co-existence.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Gloria Vincent
Govt. High School Kohima
Open letter to the DC, Ccpur and RO of 20/Sagang ADC Constituency, Ccpur
Madams,
Since the 1st Day of June 2010 till this day I have been as a lover of Democracy based on right to adult franchise, pained, and I hope every citizen of India who have also come across the same news on both print and electronic media including the National Papers, the news about the prevention of kom voters in both dampi and saiton khullen polling stations of the 20/sagang adc constituency on the repoll day i.e., on the 31st May 2010.
The fact that the said incident took place on a Re-poll day in full view of all the polling officers including the Presiding Officer and the security personnel’s and couple with the inaction on the part of R.O even when the matter was reported to her at 11 am even more pains my heart questioning about the strength of the Manipur Government who couldn’t open both the Bamboo and human barricade put up by the supporters of Ind. Candidate Tongminthang Lhungdim belonging to Kuki tribe. Who is to be responsible for the inaction mentioned above? Obviously the concerned R.O is responsible if the matter was not reported to the Government or the Government is responsible if the matter was reported to the Government in time.
If the R.O is responsible then she had committed the offence of dereliction of duty even questioning her connivance with the perpetrators of the said crime and for that our government should take action against her not only under service law but also under the criminal law of the country.
If the government is responsible then the mandate of the people to rule the state is at stake and it is a betrayal of the people for whom the government of the people by the people for the people i.e. the democratic form of government is guaranteed by the Constitution of India which is the Supreme Law of the country.
Relevant Law. The above mentioned act of preventing the Kom voters including Polling Agents of INC candidate from entering the premises of the said polling stations to cast their vote amounts to booth capturing of both the polling stations mentioned above in as much as Explanation (c) of Rule 66 of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Election of Members) Rules, 2009 is quoted her under:
66, Adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of booth capturing………..
Explanation: For the purpose of this rule “booth capturing” includes, among other things, all or any of following activities, namely:-
(c) coercing or intimidating or threatening directly or indirectly any elector and preventing him from going to the polling station to cast his vote.
Hence your report about the two polling stations to be peaceful that too without reporting the booth capturing (without R.O going to the spot and without sending a duty magistrate on the fateful day) amounts to ignorance/wilful disregard of the above quoted provision of law which is shameful for the nation to have an R.O without being aware of the law of the election or disregarding the same even after more than 50 years of Independence and the framing of the Indian Constitution.
Yours faithfully,
Ch Victor
Khonghampat Awang Leikai, Imphal West
Memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister by KUKI INPI
By Letter
The Union Minister (Home),
Government of India, New Delhi
Declaration of the Statement of Facts and no agreement between Govt. of India and NSCN(I-M) before seHlement of (1) over 900 innocent Kukis murdered and (2) over 360 Kuki villages uprooted, (3) over 100,000 Kukis displaced by NSCN(I-M).
Hon’ble Union Minister,
Monitoring carefully the talks between Government of India and NSCN(I-M) for the last several years through statements made by medias every now and then, it is now pretty clear that the landless NSCN(I-M) has been asking the Govenment of India to steal lands belonging to others and give those lands to NSCN(I-M).
NSCN(I-M) pretended and cheated worldwide that they were sovereign nation, now revealing their true colour of trying to snatch other peoples’ land by (1) invading, killing innocent thousands, uprooting hundreds of villages, but failed. (2) Now NSCN(I-M) is asking the mighty Government of India to parcel out lands belonging to others, including Kuki land, give them to NSCN(I-M). In case Govenment yields to this demand of what NSCN(IM) called “Naga integration,” it will be logically concluded that India Government has been behind this movement, and all those whose lands are touched will become enemies of India.
For and on behalf of all the Kuki people it is fervently asked that India Government not to yield to this communal politics of integrating only Nagas which will eventually become a total chaos in the whole of the present so-called northeastern India.
The Kukis have been carefully observing the NSCN(I-M) of their suspicious movement, and now this organization has come out openly asking India to take lands belonging to others and give them to NSCN(I-M). This will result to nothing else but civil war.
Instead it is requested that whatever present Indian rulers are talking with NSCN(IM), first and foremost” (1) The murderers of over 900 innocent Kukis plus other ethnic groups, (2) uprooting 360 Kukis villages must be arrested and punished in accordance of the prevailiI1g Indian law, and (3) all those displac~d by NSCN(I-M) be rehabilitated to avoid the wrath of all the ethnic groups who heavily suffered in the hands of NSCN(I-M). The wrath has to be avoided at any cost for peace and harmony in the land as it has been from time immemorial.
Secondly, the Kukis thought that they were under Indian Government. But the Government miserably failed to protect the Kukis against the NSCN(I-M) aggression. The Kuki Inpi, (Kuki Government), which bravely defended the land against the invading British Empire nearly two centuries from 1761 to the Second World War, siding the Germans in both First and Second World War alongside with INA, had a national consultation on June 29,,1 1 1993 then unanimously revived the Inpi (Government) to protect the innocent people and the land.
Ever since its revision, the Kuki Inpi has been requesting the Indian Government to protect Kukis, arrest and punish the aggressors in accordance with the prevailing Indian law and restore peace and harmony. Hundreds of communications, rather memoranda have been submitted. But none has ever been responded. One and the last memoandum submitted to your honour, as the present Hon’ able Prime Minister of India, Shri Manmohan Singhji, with its enclosures is attached herewith for study and taking appropriate acti9n before making a possible agreement (that also subject to .all concern acceptance) with NSCN (I-M).
Thirdly, in the context of Manipur, it is requested that the boundary must be preserved in order to avoid a civil war on the grounds shown below -
Therefore democratically, in Manipur context, the indigenous (1) Meiteis, (2) Kukis and (3) Nagas live together peacefully from time immemoriat and it is logical to continue to let them live together in the same manner. Amongst the indigenous citizens, Nagas are third and minority. Any talk on the question of boundary and land must be in Tripartie. No single Ethnic group has the authority or authorized to talk and break the territory. Your immediate action will highly be appreciated. See the Statement of Facts enclosed.
Yours faithfully
1. Pu A Lenthang, Kump,
President of Kuki Inpi
2. Dr S Chongloi,
Vice Chairman, Kuki Movement for Human Rights
3. Pu Tonghen Kipgen,
President
Kuki Students Organization (GHQ)
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Statement of facts in the context of NSCN(IM) and India Govt talks
By Letter
In view of the various statements issued by the NSCN (I-M) in regard to settlement of their issue with the Govt. of India, and their efforts to seek opinion of neighbouring tribes/ communities, the KSO Manipur would like to express the following statements of fact:
1. Till 1891 the polity of Manipur was confined to the polity of the various ethnic groups living in Manipur and its neighourhood. As per historical records the Kukis were much in control of the hill areas of Manipur and the Kuki language was the prominent lingua franca as one crossed the central valley of Manipur into the hills.
2. The’ foreign’ attempt to take over governance of Manipur succeeded in 1891 when the princely state came under the control of the British after a brief struggle lasting a few months. Sustained armed struggle for a period of three years (1917-1919) against British’ alien’ governance of Manipur was, however, waged by the Kukis convering the length and breadth of the hill areas of the present so-called North East India and North West of Burma (now Myanmar) whereby clearly indicating that governance of the hill areas of the present so-called North East India and North West of Burma (now Myanmar) had been largely in the hands of the Kukis. The attempt by the Kukis to regain control of the hill areas of the present so-called North East India and North West of Burma (now Myanmar) continued till the World War II when the Kukis joined the INA in large numbers. The Kuki Inn at Imphal is a commemoration of this struggle.
3. With the dawn of democratic polity in India in 1947 and the constitutional assurances of brotherhood, equality and other fundamental rights, the feeling by the Kukis of being governed by ‘alien’ power had largely disappeared at least for a period of time. However, after the sudden aggression of NSCN (1M) in early 1990s on”the Kukis, the faith of the Kukis on the’ democratic’ polity of India has been shaken. The reasons are-
(1) How such a prolonged armed struggle (lasting more than 5 years) between two communities with negligible population was allowed in the largest democracy and with one of the most powerful armed forces?
(2) How the aggression was interpreted by the Govt. as an ‘ethnic clash’ when in contrast to the well armed NSCN (I-M) which purporterdly held secessionist ambitions the Kukis were totally unarmed and were struggling to protect themselves with whatever they could.
(3) Why the Government of India was quick to forget that 900 Kukis had lost their lives in this struggle and 360 v,illages uprooted, without even an explanation or attempt for enforcement of rule of law by which the guilty must be identified and punished?
(4) After interpreting the aggresion as an ethnic conflict why has only one side been considered for dialogue, interaction, examination of claims and accommodation?
The Kukis have all good wishes for our Naga co-inhabitants in Manipur to live together in harmony and peace. The Government of India is fully aware of the history of northeastern India and how the communities here co-existed. The Kukis do not demand that we be accorded extra-special treatment or rewarded with solutions that would alienate our co-inhabitants. The Government of both India nd Burma (claiming ruling in Kuki Country) must not continue to deny justice to the Kukis. There must be transparency, equitability and justification in the Govt’s dealings with all communities. We want our problem to be correctly examined and solved without delay so as to prove untrue that the Kukis are under’ alien’ overnance.
Yours faithfully
1. Lunkhosei Touthang
Secretary General
Kuki Students’ Organization
General Headquarters
2. Kamkhohao Khongsai
President
Kuki Students’ Organization
General Headquarters
Source: Hueiyen News Service
