Assam Kuki bodies slam tribal council chief for Manipur ‘migrants’ claim

The head of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council contradicted his earlier claim that Kukis from Manipur were sent back, the organisations said

GUWAHATI: Two Assam-based Kuki organisations have criticised Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) for claiming 1,000 Kuki migrants have settled down in the Karbi Anglong district from ethnic conflict-scarred Manipur.

The Kuki Inpi, Assam and the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Assam also said Mr. Ronghang contradicted his earlier claim that 1,000 Kuki migrants who took refuge in his district had been sent back to Manipur.

“Such contradictory and baseless remarks are both surprising and deeply concerning. The claim... is not only implausible but also lacks credibility. The presence of such a large group would undoubtedly be visible and require substantial resources, including humanitarian aid, housing, and relief materials—efforts far beyond the capacity of the local Kuki population in Karbi Anglong,” the Kuki organisations said in a statement on Thursday.

“Additionally, it is highly unlikely for Kukis from Manipur to migrate during the ongoing crisis when they are preoccupied with protecting their villages, properties, and lives,” they said, adding that village leaders in Manipur have warned the members of the community against abandoning their villages, emphasising the need to safeguard their homes and communities.

“Those who temporarily relocated to safer areas were explicitly instructed to return immediately or risk losing their rights to reclaim their homes after normalcy is restored. This further debunks any claims of a mass migration of Kukis from Manipur to Karbi Anglong,” the organisations said.

They said Mr. Ronghang’s “unfounded, misleading, and potentially inflammatory” statement could be detrimental to the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and harmony. “We earnestly appeal to all sections of society—irrespective of tribe, caste, or religion—to reject false narratives and baseless allegations,” they said.

Mr. Ronghang, who heads a BJP government in KAAC, said on November 26 that Karbi Anglong does not have space for “newly-arrived 1,000 Kukis from 500 families” and that he would meet Kuki village chiefs in the district before giving the migrants a “good send-off”.

Reacting to his statement, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh said his government would take these Kuki people back if they were pre-1961 residents of his State. The Manipur Assembly adopted a resolution in August 2022 to seek the Centre’s approval to implement the National Register of Citizens in the State with 1961 as the base year to weed foreigners out.

A large chunk of the Kuki-Zo people in Manipur are perceived to be illegal settlers from Myanmar, leading to the ethnic conflict between them and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 2023. Some 260 people have lost their lives and more than 60,000 people have been displaced in the ongoing conflict.

Published - November 29, 2024 12:15 pm IST