New Delhi: Reiterating their stand that the N. Biren Singh-led Manipur government has “failed to exist for all practical purposes” for the state’s tribal Kuki-Zo residents, 10 Kuki MLAs have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the discrimination faced by the community has worsened, depriving them of not just development but also essential supplies.
The ten MLAs, including seven from the ruling BJP, have asked the PM to consider routing funds for development to hill districts on the recommendations of elected representatives from such districts instead of relying on the state government.
The Kuki MLAs also held a silent sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar Tuesday, wearing masks to demonstrate how their voices have been muted.
In the memorandum submitted on 1 December, the MLAs have also sought an audience with the PM to “hear our people’s voice and better appreciate the situation from our perspective”.
ThePrint has a copy of the memorandum signed by the 10 Kuki MLAs including Letpao Haokip, Paolienlal Haokip, LM Khaute, Letzamang Haokip, Chinlunthang, Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, Vungzagin Valte, Nemcha Kipgen, Ngursanglur Sanate and Haokholet Kipgen.
In Manipur, Kukis dominate the hills, while Meiteis make up the majority in the Valley, which includes Imphal. Since the ethnic clashes broke out, all Kukis living in the Valley have had to leave for the hills while the Meiteis, who were living in the hills, were evacuated and brought to the relief camps in the Valley.
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‘Discrimination towards hill districts’
Highlighting the “discrimination” towards the hill districts in matters of development, the 10 Kuki MLAs have in the memorandum said, “It (state government) failed to ensure even supply of life saving drugs and other essential supplies to our people as it dances to the diktats of radicalised Valley-based organisations. Our people do not disrupt movement of goods trucks and vehicles carrying essential items in Kangpokpi district on the advice of the central government, but the Meiteis with full knowledge of the state government still do not allow such supplies to our people in the hill districts.”
BJP MLA from Saikot Paolienlal Haokip told ThePrint that the discrimination against the Kuki community has increased to such an extent that the state government has failed to recommend and deliberately left the affected hill districts out of the ambit of central financial assistance under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE), a new scheme with 100 percent central funding.
Besides, the hill districts were left out from the recently approved construction of 57 roads in Manipur, for which funds amounting to Rs 201.50 crore have been sanctioned under the Central Roads and Infrastructure Fund.
The MLAs, Haokip said, have requested the Centre to consider routing funds for development projects for critical sectors like healthcare, education, roads, water supply, etc. directly to district authorities based on the recommendations of elected representatives from such districts.
‘Expedite political dialogue’
Maintaining their demand for separation from the state of Manipur after “state sponsored ethnic cleansing of our people from the Valley”, the 10 MLAs have said in their memorandum that the “state government had, since 3 May, 2023, failed to exist for all practical purposes for our people”.
They have called for expedited political dialogue to solve the ongoing ethnic conflict at the earliest.
“We would like to reiterate and place our people’s political aspiration for a separate administration in the form of a Union territory with legislature for your serious and timely consideration,” the memorandum states.
The MLAs have also strongly protested the delay in political dialogue on “mere pretexts and technicalities” of SoO (Suspension of Operations) extension with 25 Kuki/underground militant groups represented by two umbrella bodies—the Kuki National Organisation and the United Peoples Front—at the behest of the “biased and communalised” Manipur government and Meitei civil society organisations. The SoO is a tripartite agreement signed on 22 August 2008 between the Centre, Manipur government to initiate political dialogue with the underground groups.
“We condemn attempts to create divisions within our people by proposals to discontinue the SoO with select armed groups. The Suspension of Operations agreement was aimed at resolving political issues and usher in peace, and it is against the very spirit of the agreement if the government is hesitant to extend the SoO with select armed groups within the SoO framework,” the memorandum states.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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