Imphal, August 9: Asserting that the movement for affiliation of private schools located in Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel districts to Nagaland Board of Secondary Education being undertaken by ANSAM is conceivably in support of NSCN (IM)’s long standing demand to integrate Naga inhabited areas, the Kuki Movement for Human Rights and Kuki Students’ Organisation have sought a definite clarification from the Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh whether he had assured the Naga students of affiliation to NBSE as reported in the July 23 issue of The Telegraph.
An open letter sent to the Union HRD Minister asserted that NSCN (IM), UNC and ANSAM were behind the slaying of 900 Kukis during the ethnic cleansing campaign of early 90’s.Noting that NSCN (IM) is not the sole representative of the Nagas, the Kuki bodies asked the Union Minister as to why the other ethnic groups settling in close vicinity with the Nagas are not taken into account or allowed to participate while talking with NSCN (IM), UNC or ANSAM. The letter took serious note of the claim by some Nagas that Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel are ‘Naga districts’.
Earlier they said that these four districts were ‘Naga majority districts’ and now they are claiming these districts as ‘Naga inhabited areas’ and finally as Naga districts. Observing that no district in Manipur is exclusively inhabited by a single ethnic group or community, KMHR and KSO rejected the claim of the Nagas saying that Kukis are majority in Churachandpur, Chandel and Sadar Hills while the Nagas are majority only in Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Senapati districts.
Maintaining that districts are created within the States for administrative convenience and as they are very much part and parcel of the State, the open letter noted any matter or issue pertaining to these districts should be a State subject and it must be up to the State whether the matter needs to be forwarded to the Centre or not. It further noted that anything related to hill districts has to be dealt with by the Hill Area Committee of the State which is responsible for all the hill people and the entire hill areas.
Contending that Kukis, not Nagas are majority in the hill districts of Manipur, the open letter stated that if the Nagas want to continue their communal politics, they can, at best speak for Nagas. They don’t have any right to speak for the whole hill districts of Manipur without the consent of the Kukis or to bypass the State Government.
Further it disclosed that the Kukis are closely observing every turn of both the State and Union Govts and cautioned the Union Minister against inciting any communal war adding that they want justice.
Source: Sangai Express