Rejoinder to the False Allegations against the Kukis, Allegedly Supported by Israel, China, the US, UK and Canada

It is both unfortunate and hilarious how the media fraternity and well-known individuals have been misled by Meitei propagandists. All these falsehoods are being spread to suppress the tribal Kuki people, who are among the most loyal citizens of the three communities living in Manipur — the Kuki, Kacha Naga, and Meitei.

Both the Kacha Nagas and Meitei communities have demanded sovereignty from India, yet our fellow Indians ignore this fact and instead make allegations against the tribal Kuki people, who have shed their blood and lives for this nation, simply because the majority of them are Christians. Out of 112 Kuki freedom fighters from Manipur, more than 80 are Kuki. Yet today, we are paraded naked, sexually assaulted, raped, mocked, thrashed, tortured, killed, and our dead bodies desecrated. Are we lesser Indians? Have we ever ambushed our Indian army? Don’t you know that the majority community you support today is the one that has been killing our Indian soldiers? (I have proof with me.)

Out of the blue, many well-known media outlets, such as Republic TV, and prominent individuals like Abhijet Chavda, have recently emerged to add fuel to the fire of the Manipur crisis. They have supported the Meitei majority community simply because a few of them follow Hinduism, while ignoring the fact that the rest follow Sanamahism and other religions. Why are we ignoring these facts and choosing sides based on religion? Don’t we follow positive secularism in our country? Why do we prioritize political gimmicks over humanity? Isn’t it time to use logic and reason to resolve the Manipur crisis?

If we are truly concerned about the Manipur crisis, why don’t we raise our voices for a state of emergency under Article 356? It is crystal clear to the world that there has been not only administrative breakdown but also constitutional breakdown (Article 365) here in Imphal. The outer Manipur regions, which are hill districts, are calm and peaceful because AFSPA is in force. Why don’t we collectively demand that the central government reimpose AFSPA in the Imphal Valley or impose a state of emergency to restore peace and order?

Now, let’s address the rebuttal that Kuki people are being supported by foreign countries. As we know, Israel and the US are friendly countries to India, as are the UK and Canada. Why would they support the Kuki people to wage a proxy war against India? What do they stand to gain from the Kuki people, who have nothing of value to offer in exchange? Recently, there were accusations from the US and Canada that the Indian government was involved in an attempt to kill Khalistani terrorists on Canadian soil. There was outrage at the G20 meeting over this speculation. Yes, India and Bangladesh have maintained friendly relations under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is now exiled from her country. She also alleged that the US and China were involved in removing her from power, and she made a baseless statement claiming that the US is trying to create “PROJECT-K” (Kukiland) in Southeast India, combining territories from Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. She fails to understand the true nature of the Kuki people’s demands in these three countries.

Of course, it is true that the Kuki people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh demand some autonomy from the Bangladeshi government, but they have never demanded the annexation of Mizoram and Manipur from India. In Myanmar, the Kuki people have been fighting against the military junta since 2021, when democracy was overthrown, but they have never demanded the annexation of Kuki lands within India. Moreover, the Kuki people in India have never demanded sovereignty from the Indian state, even though we were forcibly merged with India when it gained independence. Since we are now part of India, we have always been loyal to this nation, and we accept that we are Indians. As loyal citizens and a minority tribe, we are simply demanding the creation of PROJECT-K (Kukiland), a state under Article 3 (internal reorganization of states) of our constitution. There is nothing anti-national about demanding a state within India where we can safeguard our distinct culture, traditions, and language.

The areas where the majority of our people reside are in outer Manipur, and in these regions, there is a clear disparity in the allocation of funds, with a lack of proper government hospitals, schools, and roads in the hilly areas. The Autonomous District Council, which was granted under the 5th Schedule, is not functioning properly, making life difficult for the hill tribes. To address these issues, the Manipur tribals protested against the government way back in 2015, and 9 tribals lost their lives. Last year, on May 3rd, 2023, the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur protested once again, and the conflict has continued ever since. Now, every right-thinking person should analyze the situation and work to address these issues together, instead of pointing fingers at a particular community.

Returning to the allegations of Chinese involvement in backing the Kuki people — this is pure fantasy. Why would China help the Kuki people, who are not Buddhists, who are not wealthy, and who have nothing to offer China? China holds significant power in the Indian Ocean region, including in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Southeast Asia. Is it logical that the Chinese government would support the Kuki people? Absolutely not.

We should stop blaming China, especially when there is an ongoing dialogue between the Chinese and Indian governments aimed at strengthening trade relations. India depends on China for lithium and other raw materials. We should not jeopardize our government’s foreign policy by making baseless accusations. Don’t we realize that our social media users have already caused us to lose diplomatic relations with the Maldives? It’s time for geopolitical experts to analyze the situation logically and reasonably. Our actions are making things more difficult for our government. If we truly love our motherland, India, let’s stop blaming foreign countries for the Manipur issue. Let’s stop lumping together unrelated issues to suppress a certain community.

If the allegations of foreign involvement were true, don’t you think the Kuki people would have already finished the war in Manipur? We shouldn’t provoke powerful military nations into getting involved in this crisis.

Let’s all work together for the sake of our nation, and for peace to prevail, let’s put pressure on the government to impose a state of emergency in Manipur.