Justice for Persecuted Minorities in the Neighbouring Countries But What of for the Persecuted Indian Kuki Minority?

The Home Minister of India Amit Shah while speaking at the social media warriors’ meet in Hyderabad’s Secunderabad praised the PM. He said “PM Modi honoured Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain refugees through CAA…to save their faith and honour, lakhs and crores of people from Pakistan and Bangladesh came to India but were not granted citizenship…They felt insulted in their own country when they were not granted citizenship.”

The concept of citizenship is basically a ROMANCE between a state and the citizens. It is a symbiotic relationship between the state and citizens, where the state confers certain Rights, privileges and benefits to its citizens, citizens also have obligations and duties towards the state. Thus, citizenship ensures the right to Live with dignity in a law-based society.

The implementation of CAA would ensure the right to live with dignity under the full protection of the Indian government for lakhs of minorities from the three countries who fled to India due to persecution in their home country. As a victim of minority persecution based on religion and ethnicity by a majority community, the Kukis understand their plight and suffering, thus share their happiness on their independence day from the clutches of suffering borne out from daily subjugation of majority atrocities and the humiliation from being treated as undeserving one and as a second class human beings in the place they reside.

The question however remains, why can’t the government of India empathize it’s own citizens - the minority Kukis who are persecuted based on their religion and ethnicity presently In the state of Manipur as they empathize and understand those minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan? Why can’t they ensure the right to live with dignity for the Kukis too like they did to the minorities in these countries? Why are THEY left alone to be butchered at the hands of Meiteis, the majority community in Manipur? ARE THEY MORE INDIAN AS THEY ARE MORE IN NUMBERS?

Why are Indian Kuki’s interests insignificant as compared to those when they are victims of the same cruelty? Why are they called Illegal immigrant in their own country?

The Meitei community in the state of Manipur punishes the humanity the Kukis have for victims of oppression under the dictatorship of the Junta in Myanmar. Humanity is made a crime for the Kuki. The state government and central government both have data on the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar to Manipur, but it did not stop the oppressor from defaming and discriminating against the Kuki by calling them illegal immigrants rather than punishing the chief minister of Manipur who himself added fuel to the fire. Does their number prevent them from securing the protection of the government?

The irony is while other state governments and communities can protest against the implementation of CAA/NRC in their states stating it as discriminatory, an infringement of their rights and on other grounds, the minority Kukis could not exercise their democratic right against the demand for implementation of NRC in the state of Manipur although it is demanded by the Meitei government and the Meitei community with malicious intention to defame and oppress the Kuki, although the Kuki themselves are not against its implementation. It is the intention for the demands they got a problem with and they could not exercise their democratic right to protest it for it shall be utilized to further defame by the meters to convince people wrongly that the Kukis are illegal immigrants. If a layman can understand the trap, the government is bound to understand it as well. The attitude of the central government so far has shown that its powers and authority are ineffective in Meitei’s atrocities and its persecution towards the Kukis.

The Meiteis today claim themselves as Hindu, but do they have the solidarity feelings for non-Meitei Hindus? Will they implement CAA in the valley district of Manipur to express their solidarity? They will terribly fail the litmus test. Be it Hindus or Indians, they will be one as long as it serves Meitei Interests. Be it democratic rights or laws, they will only abide by and accept them as long as they can suppress and oppress the Kuki. Any laws and rights in their favour are void in the state of Manipur. Kukis are thus victims of the Meiteis’ fight for Meitei supremacy and interest, their fight for their own cause and interest results in the persecution of Kukis based on their ethnicity and religion.

Thus, the Kukis of India need the healing touch of the country’s PM and his government to save the faith and honour, and to protect them from the insult, atrocities and persecution from the hand of Meiteis like persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Will the central government have the same empathy and understanding as they have for the Kuki?