NSCN (I-M) says that it stayed away from getting involved in any manner other than to make its stand “sharp and clear” that not even an inch of Naga territory should be touched in the name of “geopolitical arrangement” for the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Corerespondent
Reacting to a purported statement made recently by former Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee president K Therie, on the controversial “Kuki-Zo” demand for separate administration in Manipur, the NSCN (I-M) on September 19 said that it came as not a surprise as Therie “is a person who always find himself the odd man out” while his statement reflects poor knowledge of the geo-political issue in Manipur.
MIP, NSCN/GPRN, in a press release stated that given the sensitivity of the issue involved, the NSCN (I-M) has stayed away from getting involved in any manner other than to make its stand “sharp and clear” that not even an inch of Naga territory should be touched in the name of “geopolitical arrangement” for the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur.
The NSCN (IM) press release also stated that Therie’s unmerited concern for the Kuki-Zo community for separate administration was like a “voice crying in the wilderness” for the Kuki community and that he needs to look at the Kuki-Zo demand for separate administration within the larger context of Naga geopolitical issue and not from the Kuki-Zo geopolitical perspective.
Moreover, the NSCN (IM) termed Therie as a person who has lost the representative status of his people consecutively making his “voice” irrelevant anywhere on any issue, and in this regard the former has asked K Therie better to “stay low” and stay away from Meitie-Kuki-Zo ethnic issue thereby avoid giving any comment or statement that is “bigger” that what he could “chew”.
It may be mentioned that NSCN (I-M)’s clarification comes in the wake of the recent statement made by former minister K Therie, who said that the “threat of division of Manipur is by Manipur government itself and not from any neighbours or foreigners”. He alleged that the Manipur government had completely failed to calculate or read the impact of launching ethnic cleansing of Kuki-Zo and Christians and in view of the disgusting episode spanning over 110 days, he opined that it was not possible to restore trust and confidence.
Stating that the Manipur government refused to own moral responsibility and had no formula to restore peace, Therie had also mentioned that the only option left to thinkers was to oblige the demand of the Kuki-Zo community for a separate administration, which meant either Union Territory or Statehood.
Asserting that minorities could not continue to live under suppression, Therie had pointed out that humankind’s coexistence revolved around the right formula of majority and minority living together in unity and diversity while the majority was expected to shower affection on the minorities while stating that the minorities rendered their respect to majority.