IMPHAL/CHURACHANDPUR, Nov 30: Thousands of Kuki Zo
people on Wednesday hit the streets in several districts of
Manipur demanding separate administration for the
community.
In Churachandpur, agitators under the aegis of Zo United, an
organisation of the community, undertook a three-km-long
march from Lamka Public Ground to the ‘Wall of
Remembrance’ near the DC office.
They urged the Centre to hasten the process of establishing a
separate administration in areas of the state dominated by the
Kuki Zo community.
The agitators submitted a memorandum to Union home
minister Amit Shah through the deputy commissioner.
In the memorandum, Zo United said a separate administration
was needed as Imphal, which has major government
establishments, educational institutions, healthcare facilities
and the lone airport in the state, has become inaccessible for
the Kuki Zo people, including government officials and tribal
MLAs, after the community’s expulsion from the Imphal Valley
since the commencement of ethnic strife in May.
On resource allocation, the memorandum claimed that only Rs
419 crore was allocated for the hills between 2017-18 and
2020-21, in contrast to Rs 21,481 crore for the valley during the
period.
It also alleged that highways were being blocked by Meitei
agitators, leading to obstruction in the entry of essential items
to the hills.
The organisation accused the state government, including the
police, of aligning with the Meiteis, and distributing
government-issued firearms to members of the valley-based
community for use against the tribals.
Alleging discrimination against Kuki Zo students, the
memorandum said the prospects of equitable treatment in
matters of government recruitment were bleak for the
community.
Zo United convener Albert Renthlei said another memorandum
was earlier submitted to the Centre over the issue but no reply
was received.
“A separate administration is a must for the community as
atrocities have been committed against us since May 3… now
we can live with Meiteis only as good neighbours,” he said.
Rallies were also brought out in Kangpokpi district under the
leadership of the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and in
Mizoram-bordering Pherzawl district. Similar rallies were
brought out in Tengnoupal, Saikul and Zampuitlang, and also in
Delhi, Agartala, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Strict security arrangements were ensured in district
headquarters and inter-district boundaries of Churachandpur
and Bishnupur, and Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts to
prevent any untoward incident, an official said.
A planned rally was, however, called off in Tangkhul Naga-
dominated Ukhrul after the community raised objections to
holding the stir in the district.
More than 180 people have been killed and thousands
rendered homeless in ongoing ethnic strife between Imphal
Related Posts:
Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kuki Zo community in
Manipur since May 3 this year. (PTI)
