UKHRUL: The Naga People’s Organisation (NPO), Senapati on Friday expressed its shock by the 48-hour ultimatum served by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), and Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) accusing the NSCN-IM for the deaths of two Kuki civilians in Thawai Kuki village in Ukhrul district, Manipur. It questioned what evidence the Kuki community possessed to blame the Tangkhul community or the NSCN-IM for that unfortunate and unwanted incident and demanded the withdrawal of the ultimatum at the earliest.
The Naga People’s Organisation, Senapati, while condemning such incidents involving unknown miscreants stated that violence and unverified accusations will only aggravate the already sensitive situation and disturb the fragile peace in the region.
The Naga organisation, in a statement, reminded the Kuki community of certain past incidents where situations, according to them, could have easily escalated had the Naga community not exercised restraint in the larger interest of peace and the safety of innocent people.
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It cited the incident at Ireng Naga village, where some Kuki miscreants reportedly dismantled a waiting shed and inscribed communal slogans on a stone, such as “Kukiland” and “Stay Away Nagas.” “There was also a viral audio recording of a self-styled Commander of KNF (P), Tiger alias Thangboi Kipgen, who directly threatened the village chairman, stating that his cadres would come and attack Ireng Naga Village,” it mentioned.
It also cited another incident of the burning down of a residential building at Lungwiuram by some Kuki miscreants.
“It was surprising that the responsible Kuki Civil Society Organisations did not come forward during those times. In both cases, the Naga People’s Organisation visited the affected sites and advised our people to localize the issues as far as possible and to avoid any form of escalation. However, during the K. Songlung incident, the United Naga Council (UNC), without hesitation, owned responsibility and intervened promptly to prevent further escalation,” it stated.
As per the Naga People’s Organisation, the present communal tension in the Litan area is believed to have originated from the incident that occurred on the night of February 7, where one Starling (a Tangkhul) was seriously injured.
“The extent of the victim’s injuries was witnessed by many through video clips circulating on social media. It is difficult to understand whether the Kuki community can justify such a degree of torture to any individual merely for accidentally flashing a torchlight in the darkness of the night. According to information gathered from various sources, the matter could have been compromised and peacefully resolved had the Kuki side not neglected the issue,” it stated.
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The NPO further stated that both parties stated that information about the incident was conveyed to the chief of Sareikhong village on the same evening. As it was already late, it was decided that the matter would be discussed the following day. However, the village (Sareikhong) chief of the accused party, remained silent until around 2 PM the next day, it alleged.
It alleged the Sareikhong village chief of neglecting the issue and stated that he should be held responsible for whatever has happened in Litan.
“It is a customary practice among all communities that the accused party approaches the victim’s side first and requests for settlement or compromise. Stating that he was waiting for the victim party to come to his residence is a clear violation of customary practices. His attitude and negligence contributed to the escalation of the issue, which ultimately resulted in many innocent families becoming victims. Therefore, he should be held responsible for whatever has happened in Litan,” the statement read.
It further stated that the recent incident where one individual sustained a leg injury and two others lost their lives, the abduction of 21 innocent Tangkhul commuters on the highway was completely unjustifiable and appealed to the competent authorities to book all the perpetrators involved in the abduction of innocent commuters in a time-bound manner for the safety and security of all.
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The Naga People’s Organisation urged KIM, KOHUR, and CoTU to withdraw their ultimatum at the earliest and warned that any eventuality arising out of it shall be held upon them.
It also urged all concerned organisations and communities to exercise restraint and responsibility, and to allow the competent authorities to properly investigate the matter and establish the truth.