Imphal, Aug 7: The Foothills Naga Co-ordination Committee (FNCC) has clarified that the ongoing bandh in Naga-inhabited foothills is not against the Zomi or Hmar-Lushai (Mizo) communities, but a “direct and unequivocal response” to alleged provocations by Kuki CSOs under the banner of WKZIC.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the FNCC said, “It is imperative to underscore that the ongoing bandh in the foothills region of Naga-inhabited areas is not aimed at the Zomi or Hmar-Lushai (Mizo) communities, with whom the Naga people have shared generations of mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.”
However, the committee accused Kuki expansionist forces of “aggressive, unchecked, and calculated actions,” particularly those operating under the so-called WKZIC and Working Committee Kuki CSOs. “These groups have chosen the path of provocation, territorial encroachment, and political manipulation, endangering the fragile peace of the region,” it stated.
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FNCC hit out at the Kuki CSOs’ past activities, saying, “You cannot talk Article 21 of the Indian Constitution or the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, after having brazenly held the entire state of Manipur to ransom for over 27 months by blockading National Highways, disrupting essential supplies, and pushing millions to the edge.”
Terming those actions as “nothing short of economic terrorism,” the committee added, “Do not feign victimhood while being the perpetrator of regional instability.”
It further warned that if the Working Committee, Kuki CSOs blocks NH-2 or disrupts the movement of goods and people, “every avenue of Naga-inhabited areas will be sealed off to Kuki movement without exception. This includes NH-2, NH-37, and will extend to Peren District of Nagaland and the NC Hills of Assam as well.”
“Let it be known: the Working Committee Kuki CSO alone will be held solely responsible for any fallout that arises from their provocations,” the FNCC concluded.