Churachandpur : The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) have given an ultimatum to the Central government that if a separate administration is not granted for the ethnic Kuki-Zo community of Manipur within a couple of weeks from Wednesday, a “self government” will be established.
“It has been over six months and nothing has been done regarding our demand for a separate administration from the Manipur government. So if our voice is not heard within a couple of weeks, we will set up our self-government. Whether the Centre recognises it or not, we will go ahead,” ITLF General Secretary Muan Tombing said.
“As in a state or a Union Territory, we will set up a self-government that will look into all matters in the Kuki-Zo areas. We have to do this since our voice has not been heard,” Tombing further said at the sidelines of a “Mass Rally Against Atrocities on Kuki-Zo Tribals” in the Churachandpur district on Wednesday.
Thousands of Kuki-Zo communities staged a protest march from three locations and converged at Tuibuong Peace ground near the Deputy Commissioner’s office, condemning the “partisan attitude” on the part of the N. Biren Singh government in handling the current ethnic tension and investigation in various atrocities, murder, bludgeoning of the tribal people in Manipur.
“Many Kuki-Zo tribals have been killed during the ethnic strife but none of the central probe agencies has taken it up for investigation. This rally is to protest against the atrocities committed against Kuki-Zo people,” ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said.
Later, the ITLF also submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner, Dharun Kumar stressing the need for a separate administration within the ambit of the constitutional provisions for Kuki-Zo community, besides demanding for a CBI probe into the ethnic strife.
Moreover, the ITLF also sought the personal intervention of Union Home Minister to handle the ongoing ethnic strife between the two warring communities Meitei and Kuki-Zo with “equity, unprejudiced, equivalently and to unequivocally delve into the plight and woes of the Kuki-Zo tribal populace correspondingly.”
On August 16, ten Kuki –Zo legislators – five from the BJP, two Janata Dal-United, two Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) and one Independent legislator, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscoring the need for a “separate administration” in the five hill districts inhabited by the Kuki-Zo community.
These five districts are Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Tengnoupal and Pherzawl.
