Manipur News

IMPHAL, Feb 24 NNN: The ‘homeland’ demand of the Kuki people was strongly echoed today during the 26th Raising Day of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the two umbrella organisations of the various Kuki militant outfits. The other umbrella body is the UPF.
The Raising Day was held at Mata Lambulane near Churachandpur district headquarters.
ZRA foreign secretary H.Calvin was the chief guest in today’s occasion, United People’s Front (UPF) spokesman L. Sanga was the guest of honour and Kuki Inpi, Manipur president Thangsei Haokip was the function president.
The programme included showcasing of cultural dances from different troupes of the Kom, Hmar , Paite , Zou , Thadou , Khoibu, Maring , Gangte and Chothe.
In his presidential speech, KNO president PS Haokip recalled on February 24, 1988, KNO was formed at Molnoi Kuki village near the Indo-Burma border to restore Zale’n-gam, the Kuki nation to its state of former glory when self-rule prevailed among our people.
“On this auspicious day, I also extend salutations to all the departed souls, who sacrificed their lives for the Kuki nation. Today, they may not be with us in person, but their memories will remain a living memory to the Kuki people,” PS Haokip said.
“From the time I took on the onerous responsibility of leading KNO, it has been my desire to personally meet each and every one of you and express my gratitude. It is also my aspiration to interact with you and enlist your goodwill to work together to govern ourselves in order to preserve, secure and develop Zale’n-gam, our ancestral land given to us by the Almighty. I sincerely mean this because we all need to co-operate to revive Zale’n-gam its former state of glory.
“With a view to restoring Zale’n-gam to its historical glory, the help of every clan and sub-clan is solicited. For example, in 1992, the late Pu SNG Haokip invited representatives to engage in sharing and discussing Kuki nationalism and the ideology of KNO in Churachandpur so that we may achieve self-determination for our people,” the KNO chief recollected.
“Similarly, in 1994 KNO took the initiative to welcome our ‘Old Kuki’ brethren in Chandel, who left NSCN (IM) to return to their roots. Similarly, the same people who were with NSCN (K) have also been enlightened and have started to return to the Kuki fold. United Minorities Liberation Army and Pakan Revolutionary Army are living examples. This is the blessing of God upon our people who made sincere efforts to build and strengthen Kuki unity. Our forefathers were blessed by the Almighty even when they did not know Him. Today, with our faith in Him, I believe our people will receive showers of blessing!
“Zale’n-gam: The Kuki Nation was published 1998 to communicate my vision for the Kuki people as it was not possible to deliver it to you in person. Every ‘tribe’ of Zale’n-gam from A–Z is listed in the publication. In alphabetical order come under ‘Any Kuki Tribes’ in Manipur, which includes Aimol, Anal, Baite, Chiru, Changsen, Chongloi, Chothe, Doungel, Gangte, Guite, Haokip, Hangshing, Hmar, Kipgen, Kharan,Khoibu, Koirao, Koireng, Kom, Lamkang, Lhungdim,Lunkim, Lupheng, Lupho, Mate, Maring, Mayon, Misao, Mongmi, Monsang, Ngon, Paite, PurumRalte, Simte, Sukte, Tarao, Thadou, Thangal, Thangeo, Tuboi, Vaiphei and Zou,” PS Haokip went on to say in his presidential speech.
He then stated that efforts have been made to write-up on each of the tribes. On some they are lengthy, but on some less lengthy. “I request more information on any of the tribes so that they can be included in the next edition, especially those tribes or sub-clans, which may not feature in the last edition. The book also relates our unified stand to preserve our territorial integrity against the British colonialists in the Kuki Rising, 1917-1919,” he added.
“By God’s grace today the Kuki people are represented in KNO. In August 2005, KNO and the Indian army signed Suspension of Operation, when KNF (MC) and KNF (Z) joined the KNO umbrella. By 2006, the armed wing of KNO grew to include i) Kuki National Army, ii) Kuki National Front (Military Council), iii) Kuki National Front (Zogam), iv) United Socialist Revolutionary Army, v) Zou Defence Volunteer, vi) Zomi Revolutionary Front, vii) United Komrem Revolutionary Army, viii) Hmar National Army and ix) Kuki Liberation Army. In a ground-breaking development, the United Old Kuki Liberation Army (Khoipu and Maring) and Pakan Revolutionary Army joined KNO, respectively in December 2007 and 2008. In 2010, Kuki Revolutionary Army, Kuki National Front (S) and another Kuki Liberation Army led by L Timothy Kuki joined KNO, raising the umbrella organisation’s strength to a formidable 15. Following these developments, Kuki Unity Celebration was held on 30 October 2010 at Molnom Community Hall. The media team covered the entire programme, which was telecast and published in the newspapers. The Manipur Express interviewed me during which crucial aims and objectives of the organisations were discussed.
“The KNO website, kukination.net (link zale’n-gam.org) was launched in 2006. In 1999, Kuki was represented for the first time in the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations at Geneva, Switzerland,” PS Haokip stated.
“On August 9, 2006, KNO and its armed wing, represented by Dr Seilen Haokip and myself, signed the Deed of Commitment to Ban Anti-Personnel Landmines with Geneva Call at Geneva. KNO is the 31st organization to sign this important agreement from amongst other organisation all over the world. KNO memorandums were also submitted to UN General Secretary and the India and Burma Missions at Geneva,” PS Haokip revealed.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kno-raising-day-held/

IMPHAL, Feb 23 NNN : The Kuki Students’ Organisation, Chandel (KSO-Chandel) and the Naga Students’ Union of Chandel (NSUC) in Manipur have threatened to impose a 48-hour general strike March 1 and followed by indefinite economic blockade along National Highway-2 from March 3 midnight to push for their demand for reassignment of Executive Engineer, DRDA, Chandel.
The tribal student bodies have been demanding Manipur Government to re-assign L Sharatchandra, Executive Engineer, DRDA, Chandel, accusing him of being a corrupt and aggressive official.
“The Manipur Government should transfer EE Sharatchandra by February 27 else the KSO, Chandel and NSU, Chandel will jointly impose a 48-hour bandh in the district starting March 1 and another parallel strike in the form of economic blockade along the Imphal-Moreh road if the Government remains as a silent spectator to the demand,” KSO, Chandel president Thangjalet Mate told reporters at Molnoi Community Hall in Tengnoupal, Chandel district on Saturday.
He said the two student bodies had on February 22 submitted a joint representation to the Chief Minister, urging him to take necessary steps to transfer EE Sharatchandra and send a competent officer in place of him and cited the reason for their demand.
The beleaguered EE hardly ever attends the office and that he stays at home back in Imphal all the time, the memorandum accused.
It also alleged that EE Sharatchandra deducts 10 percent to 15 percent of every Central Government sponsored scheme in the district since he joined the office of DRDA, Chandel. At times, he used abusive words to the beneficiaries of Government schemes who went to enquire about progress of files, it alleged.However, certain relaxation will be made for vehicles transporting students of Class X who are to appear the ensuing HSLC exam in the state, religious and medical related activities will also be exempted from the purview of the strikes, Mate informed. Expressing concern over huge number of substitute teachers in the Government schools in Chandel district, Mate warned against all the Government teachers, informing them to report to their respective educational institutions immediately.
He also announced that a stringent drive against these standby teachers will be launched from first week of March.
As per a 2012 survey, more than 80 percent of teachers in the Government schools in the hill district were turned out to be substitutes, he added.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kso-nsuc-threaten-stir/

IMPHAL, Feb 23 NNN: Eleven heavily armed men clad in full combat dress who were said to be the president of militant outfit KYKL-MDF, one of its cadres and nine other personnel of 24 Assam Rifles have been taken into police custody on Saturday after they barged into the office room of RIMS Director.
KYKL-MDF, a faction of Kanglei Yaon Kanna Lup, is led by its president and commander-in-chief Athouba.
Police reports informed that the incident occurred around 12:30 pm at A-Block of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here.
They came to the hospital in a Bolero jeep in full combat dress holding weapons and asked the security guards manning the hospital main gate to allow them to meet the hospital Director, then they allowed them to enter inside it after assuming them to be VIPs.
Near the office room of the Director, they were stopped by another group of security guards telling them that they could not meet with the Director when they asked for permission to meet him. Then, they somehow tried to enter the Director’s room, but the CRPF personnel who were on duty informed the matter to the police.
After that, a team of Lamphel Police led by its Officer-in-charge arrived at the scene and arrested them all, the police said.
It is worth mentioning that the KYKL-MDF is one of the signatories to Suspension of Operation (SoO) involving both the Central and Manipur Governments.
The police declined to provide detailed information about the incident and it was not clear as to why they wanted to meet the Director.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kykl-mdf-men-ar-personnel-detained-at-rims/