From Kaimuanthang
LAMKA, November 30: The Kuki State Demand Committee, KSDC, organised a public rally today from about 11 am from the Public ground during which the rallyist exerted pressure on the government to grant their demand for a separate state for the Kukis.
Thousands of those who took part in the rally gathered at the public ground before setting off and held a public meeting during which most of the speakers highlighted the need for the Kukis to have a separate state for progress and development on par with others in the state while adding that they have never been under any bodies subjugation in the dim past.
The rally after taking the Tipaimukh road, IB Road and Tedim Road continued till reaching Peace Ground located at Tuibuong where a short public meeting was also held.
The rallyist carried banners which read `Public Rally in Demand for the Kuki Ancestral Land for the Kukis` and placards that reads, ` Restore Kuki Ancestral Land `, `Kuki State Our Destiny`, `Kuki State is the Answer,` ` Expedite Political Talks With the Kukis’ etc.
In a separate press statement the KSDC said they governed themselves before the British incursion under the benign and capable leadership of their chiefs and enjoyed full freedom over their territory adding their ancestors opposed British colonial designs and resisted their incursion into their land by raiding them.
It said the colonial power waged war on the Kuki people from early 1917 in order to crush their resistance and subjugate their authority further maintaining that as a result the Kukis joined the INA to redeemed their freedom but failed owing to the defeat of Axis power with the result that they ( Kukis) and their lands were scattered under various administrative units. Later the Kukis’ land split further into Burma and India.
The statement pointed out that demand for statehood of the Kukis was first submitted by the KNA to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru way back in the year 1960 stating the GOI accorded statehood to Nagaland 1953 thus favouring pro- British colonialist but discriminating the Nagas which negates further every rights and liberties enshrined in the Constitution of India.
It further stated that the creation for the Kuki state is going to be the prelude of a lasting peace in the state and further said that it is the bounden duty of the GOI to uphold the rights of the Kukis as free people in their ancestral homeland restoring to them their properties and uphold their dignity and inalienable civil and political rights.
It claimed that every successive government have deliberately ignored all their aspirations and demands while stating they are rendered to the status of refugees in their own land.
Our Moreh correspondent added: Similar rally demanding separate state for the Kukis state ‘Kuki Ancestral lands for kuki state’ was also held at Moreh border town organized by the Kuki State Demand Committee Chandel district (KSDC).
The rally set off from Lentuol ground from 11 am and concluded at Hills Tribal Council office after taking the route of Sun Rise youth club, gate no 2, Muslim basti, Chawangphai, Chingdongleikai, Kanan Veng ,Moreh Hospital road.
The rally was taken part by around one thousand people including village chiefs, villagers in and around Moreh etc.
Placards which reading “Kuki Ancestral Land (demand) Justice &equality for the kukis”, “Kuki state is our birth Right” etc were displayed during the rally.
