The Shift in Narrative: Meiteis Now Want to Pit Kukis Against Nagas

The Meiteis in Manipur have shifted their narrative, now attempting to create friction between the Kukis and Nagas. Following over a year of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing against the Kuki minority, the once confident Meiteis find themselves restricted to a small area, realizing their initial plans to swiftly eradicate the Kukis were overly optimistic. Despite their efforts, the Kukis have stood firm, thwarting Meitei attempts to eliminate them.

The Chief architect of the current violence Mr. N. Biren Singh and his stooges – the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, must have day-dreamed that the Kukis would easily bow before them if intimidated and could be easily crushed if subdued. However, the Kukis, beyond their wild imagination, stood their ground and thwarted the Meitei divisive ploy to annihilate the Kuki community from the state.

Now, the Meiteis who are in dilemma whether to seek for peace or continue the fight with the Kukis, have started changing narratives. In the wild effort to annihilate the Kukis, they started looking for partners in crime. They have now started spreading propaganda to incite the Naga community to drag them into this violence. The Naga community have been maintaining neutral stance in this violence.

Here, the agents in shifting narratives are the Meitei media houses, who are now drumming up intentionally about the Kuki-Naga clash which is no longer relevant at all. The Editorial of Imphal Free Press and The Imphal Times have repeatedly written about the imaginative escalating tension between the Nagas and the Kukis.

In their attempt to drag the Nagas into this violence, the Meitei media houses have now started selective picking of news item. They carry news item pertaining to the issue between the Nagas and Kukis with louder agenda. Interestingly, The Imphal Free Press in their editorial on June 24, the day in which the Kuki- Zo community held a public rally to expedite a political solution, wrote about the 1997 ethnic clash in Churachandpur. The editorial repeatedly tried to throw a seed of division among the Kuki-Zo tribes by bringing out the already settled misunderstanding between the same ethnic groups.  

However, the Kuki-Zo community is not a fool that can easily be swayed by the propagandas of the Meitei press. They have lived together since ages, sharing the same culture and ancestors. The Meiteis’ press attempts to create division among the Kuki-Zo community will only prove futile. There may be disagreements, but they always find lines to hold them together.

After a failed attempt to divide the Kuki community, the Meitei community have now tried to provoke the Nagas, so that they can be their aid in waging war against the Kukis. But this will only prove dangerous for them as the Naga community with their integrity will never fall prey to the cheap tactics of the devilish Meiteis.

Now faced with a dilemma—whether to pursue peace or continue confrontation—the Meiteis have begun spreading propaganda to draw the neutral Naga community into the conflict. Meitei media outlets are selectively reporting and exaggerating tensions between Nagas and Kukis to fuel division and attract Naga support. Despite these tactics, the historically united Kuki-Zo community remains resilient, dismissing Meitei attempts to sow discord as futile. Aware of Meitei efforts to manipulate them, the Nagas, known for their integrity, are unlikely to be swayed into supporting Meitei aggression against the Kukis, posing a potential setback for Meitei strategies.