Foothills Naga Coordination Committee Denounces ‘Kukiland’, Calls It Root Cause of Manipur Conflict

Imphal, June 14: The Office of the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC), based in Imphal, Manipur, has issued a strong statement declaring that there is “no Kukiland in the state of Manipur.” According to the FNCC, this “imaginary construct” is the root cause of the ongoing conflict in the state.

The press communique states that the narrative of Kukiland is being used to distort facts and seize the land of indigenous people. Citing historical accounts and government records, the FNCC claims that the Kukis are not indigenous to Manipur but are primarily migrants and refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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The FNCC also condemned recent efforts by certain Kuki groups to rename geographical features and landmarks in Manipur, such as Mt. Koubru, Mt. Thangjing, and S.P. Road, calling them “blatant efforts to overwrite the ancestral heritage of the native communities.” Such acts, the committee said, are not only provocative but also pose a direct threat to the existence of indigenous people.

The press note also alleged that Kuki militant groups and armed volunteers are constructing illegal bunkers, makeshift shelters, and road blockades in Naga territories. These actions, it said, are a direct challenge to peaceful coexistence and must be stopped immediately. The FNCC further denounced the illegal erection of gates on public roads, forest land occupation, and land encroachment as violations of the law.

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The communique demanded that Kuki militant groups operating under political or ethnic movements withdraw immediately from Naga territories. The FNCC warned that armed aggression and the use of violence to assert “illegitimate territorial claims” would only escalate the conflict and provoke necessary countermeasures.

According to the FNCC, the root cause of the current unrest in Manipur lies in narcoterrorism and illegal immigration, described as “twin threats” that have eroded social cohesion and endangered the future of indigenous people in the state. The statement alleged that the unchecked flow of drugs, arms, and foreign nationals has enabled Kuki militant groups to entrench themselves and destabilize the region.

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The committee concluded by saying that peaceful coexistence is possible only with respect for historical truth and the rule of law. It asserted that “the creation of imaginary homelands on someone else’s land is not coexistence, it is encroachment, and it will be dealt with [an] iron hand.”