Kuki orgs react to CNPO, NSUC claims

IMPHAL, Nov 9
Strongly reacting to the claims of Chandel Naga People's Organisation (CNPO) and Naga Students' Union Chandel (NSUC), the Kuki Reformation Forum (KReF), Kuki Chiefs' Association, Tengnoupal district and Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Tengnoupal district said that 'tagging of Kukis in Manipur as refugee is an ignorance.'
"The term Kuki rooted back from 33AD (The Royal Chronicles of Meithis) and then heard of again during Geographer Cladius Ptolemy (90-165AD) and well known from 17th century onwards in Kuki Territory lying between present day India, Myanmar/Burma and Bangladesh, even before the existence of present day India and Manipur," claimed a statement of KReF.
"Lonpi@ Mombi conclave of Lonpi village in Chakpikarong sub-division of present day Chandel district was the first fortified conclave of Kuki warriors burnt down by the British forces on 17 October 1917... The British however, were not able to burn down the fortifies conclave of Sita Kuki village of present day Tengnoupal district and other places," KReF claimed and continued that it has already submitted a memorandum for 'war compensation' to the British Queen and UK Prime Minister on October 29.
"Tagging of Kukis in Manipur as refugee is an ignorance... When the British defeated Kukis on 18 December 1919, many were sent to jail. Altogether 22 Kuki warrior Chiefs were sentenced to imprisonment. 11 Chiefs from Manipur were sent to Sadiya jail and another 11 Kuki Chiefs of Burma also were imprisoned in Taunggyi jail in Burma. Afterward all of them were shifted to Andaman & Nicobar cellular jail for 3 years each and 4 years for Kuki Rajah Chengjapao Doungel," it claimed.
After India, Burma and Bangladesh attained independence from British, 'Kukis were separated into three International boundaries of India, Burma and Bangladesh,' KReF said.
"The erstwhile Tengnoupal district, now bifurcated into Tengnoupal and Chandel district for administrative convenience, is the land and abode of both Old Kukis and New Kukis in Manipur with 134 old Kuki villages and 112 new Kuki villages in Chandel district and 75 old Kuki villages and 93 new Kuki villages in Tengnoupal district. It is against the norms of humanity, against academic and religion to distort factual history to strip off other community of their history people and land through guns & bullets and distorted propaganda and devilish politics," alleged KReF.