Guwahati, Sept 8: Rejecting the separate administration demand of Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in “Naga territory”, the All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) on Saturday warned that they would not accept any further bifurcation of Naga areas while attempting to address any other demand of other communities.
In a strongly worded statement, ANSAM president Luikang Luckson and general secretary Angteshang Maring said: “ANSAM place the position of the Naga people squarely that we will not accept any further bifurcation of Naga areas while attempting to address any other demand of other communities.”
The student body claimed that the bifurcation of Naga’s ancestral homeland or adversely affecting the Nagas in any form while addressing the demands of other communities will have serious ramifications that will provoke further senseless violence with different communities.
The ANSAM) took strong exception to the outrageous demands and unwarranted provocations of a particular community including the recently concluded rally of Kuki-Chin-Mizo in the hill areas on August 31 across Nagas homeland that poses serious political implications and threat to the already turmoil situation of the state.
The ANSAM is constrained to issue this statement to put across our serious concerns and dismay over their continued demands and claims based on blatant lies and the invention of lop-sided history, they said.
“Time and again, the Nagas are perturbed by the circulation of fabricated information, distorted statements and historical accounts contained in every press release and memorandum issued by the Kuki community which is tantamount to an assault on Naga history and an insult to the Naga people,” the student body said.
“Indeed, it is very unfortunate and alarming that endless fabricating stories and concoction of history has been trending far and wide put forth by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo recklessly to suit their wild imaginary dream, taking undue advantages over the civility and understanding of Nagas towards them,” they also said.
The association has also seriously viewed on the contumacious behaviour and chilling provocation of Kuki-Chin-Mizo protesters towards the Naga leaders in and around Tumnaopokpi areas on August 31 while they were conveying gentle caution and advisory not to provoke Nagas to avert any possible confrontation between the two communities.
The ANSAM also questioned the veracity of including the names of Naga tribes; Anal, Aimol, Chiru, Chothe, Lamkang, Moyon, Monsang, Kom etc. in the flyer of the recently concluded August 31 Global-Wide Rally by the Kuki-Zo community. It is nothing but trying to baselessly portray their geography and demography to suit their wildest demands of Kuki land within Naga areas which prove their lies and false territorial claims.
“Such act of blasphemy should be stopped forthwith, else will only bring chaos and enmity amongst the communities. Instead of all these, with deep concern, we advise the Kuki-Chin-Mizo brethren to acknowledge and respect the traditional land ownership of the Nagas as in the olden days, so that we can continue to share and remain as a good neighbour for the rest of the centuries,” the student leaders said.
“Whereas, continued effort of raising their demand on false territorial foundation and attempts to befool the various authorities concern with concocted history is a direct aggression to the Nagas and a burgeoning threat to the Northeast, a region of Indigenous peoples,” they also said.
Once again, the association cautioned to all concerned that any community or individual may have their own aspiration and demands democratically within their own share, but the same action and inaction should not infringe the rights, interests and positions of others by way of distortion and fabrication.
Further, any untoward consequences or collateral eventualities that arise in this regard shall be solely held responsible by those who engineered the crisis.
The ANSAM urged the Central government to show their sincerity in handling the present crisis in the state of Manipur and must look at the issues and evolving demands and claims in the right perspective based on historical truth. The history of land and people in Manipur is loud and clear on record and any authority in the helm should not be confused in this regard
