IMPHAL, Dec 6 NNN: The Kuki National Organisation (KNO)’s situation can be best described as ‘the time will speak.’
No response has come forth from the Government of India after a day’s wait, the time-bound given by the KNO yesterday to the government, the leaders of the Kuki militants are returning to their ‘base’ on Friday from New Delhi’s camp.
“We are returning to our base tomorrow morning since the government has not responded till this evening,” KNO spokesman Dr Seilen Haokip informed tonight.
When asked whether they are abrogating the (SoO) terms with the government, Dr Seilen Haokip said, “The SoO has not been abrogated. Neither it has been extended.” When asked what he likes to describe to such a situation, Dr Haokip humorously said, “We are on waiting mode. We don’t know. At the moment we will first return to our base and see how things get unfurled. Anyway, we are on waiting mode.”
Yesterday, the KNO had placed its straight decision before the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) at Asoka Hotel, Delhi in a meeting saying the government should first give a written assurance to the former to begin a political dialogue with the Kuki militant umbrella body. The KNO had also told them that it would wait for a day (which expired on Thursday).
It is worth mentioning that on November 2, the KNO had asserted that it demanded a separate Kuki state in Manipur under the Constitution of India. The KNO had also said it had taken a decision to abrogate the Suspension of Operation (SoO) if the government did not hold dialogues with it by November 22.
Chronicling the event, Dr Seilen Haikip on November 2 had stated that in response to the call of the Prime Minister to abjure the path of violent and come forward for talks, the KNO had signed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Government of India (GoI) in 2005.
“However, this was objected by the Manipur state government. So, in 2008, KNO signed a tripartite SoO with the government of India and the State Government of Manipur. Even after seven years of the signing of the SoO, during which peace prevailed in the Kuki hills of Manipur, the Government is yet to initiate any political dialogue”, the KNO spokesperson had said.
Accusing the government of dictating terms, Dr Haokip had said that in August this year the former had unilaterally decided on a three-month extension of SoO, rather than the usual yearly basis. “It appears the government does not appreciate the peace dividend of the SoO”, the KNO leader had said while talking to a strong posse of journalists in New Delhi last month.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kno-cadres-returning-to-base-camps/
