IMPHAL, July 5: The protest rallies carried out on Friday by Kukis in eight different places under the aegis of Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) were to demand justice from the Central government.
This was stated by KIM president Thangkhosei Haokip while addressing media persons in a press conference at the KIM office in Imphal on Saturday.
The Kukis carried out the protest rallies because the Central government has delayed in delivering justice to the Kukis who were brutally killed by the NSCN-IM in an ethnic clash between the Kukis and Nagas from 1990 to 97.
Demanding to know from the Central government whether the Kukis aren’t Indian citizens, he stated that they are demanding only justice and nothing else; and there was no hidden agenda behind their silence for so long even after submitting 60 plus memorandums to the Central government.
“The responsibility for all our actions and our next moves must go to the central government, if it doesn’t hear our voice now.”
Stressing that crime against women and children is crime against humanity, he said even after more than 10 years of that war crimes, no justice has been delivered to the 905 innocent Kukis who were killed by the bullets from the barrels of NSCN-IM.
Clarifying further that they are not demanding any compensation for the victims but justice only, the KIM president decried the Jiribam ADC for not permitting to take out the peace protest rally and dubbed it “injustice”.
Refuting the claims of the United Naga Council (UNC) and some Zeliangrong civil bodies, he said the Kukis are not against their demand for independence from the Indian government but it’s not right to kill hapless and innocent Kukis.
“Are they waging a war against the Kukis or India, they have to clarify on this,” the KIM president demands to know.
Kukis are not blaming the whole Naga populace for the mass killings of the Kukis but the NSCN-IM only, Thangkhosei added.
KIM general secretary Khaimang Chongloi who was also present at the press conference called for the transfer of the Jiribam ADC as he cannot execute his duty within 48 hours.
KIM speaker Ch Ajang Khongsai stated that the Central government is not considering the Kukis as loyal citizens of India.
61 memorandums have been submitted so far within a span of nearly 20 years without a single response from the Central government, he added.
“Kukis want a response from the Central government even if it’s negative. We just want to know the decision of the government. The culprits were punished for killing three persons after a trial but a case against the mass killing of 905 innocent Kukis is yet to be filed,” Ajang Khongsai said.
We don’t blame the whole Naga community but only the NSCN-IM, he added.
