CHURACHANDPUR: There is renewed tension in Manipur as groups of the Kuki-Zo community protested against an annual Meitei pilgrimage to the Thangjing hill, which is a holy place in the Churachandpur district.
The clash has raised new concerns about ethnic relations in the state, which has witnessed sporadic unrest in the past few years.
Each April, Meitei pilgrims make the arduous journey to Ibudhou Thangjing hilltop shrine, worshipped as the "protector of the mountains." But this time around, six Kuki-Zo organisations in unison urged Meiteis not to cross the buffer zone into the Kuki-Zo territories to visit the location.
In a blunt statement, they asserted, "Unless and until a political settlement is arrived at by the Government of India on behalf of the Kuki-Zo community within the framework of the Constitution of India, no such amiable approach to the jurisdiction of Kuki-Zo land will be permitted for the Meitei community."
The tensions reached a boiling point with a demonstration by Kuki-Zo members at Thangjing hill on Sunday, openly protesting the pilgrimage. The action has raised alarm among political leaders and civil society organisations alike.
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh appealed publicly for peace and harmony, calling on the Kuki-Zo community to rethink their position. Addressing the media, he said, "Kukis, Nagas, Muslims, and Meiteis have been coexisting in Manipur since eternity. I, on behalf of the Congress party, would like to request our Kuki brothers to revisit the decision."
Highlighting the common identity of Manipuri people, he further added, "We are all Manipuris.". We don't like illegal immigrants, but the native population has to coexist."The All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO), which is headquartered in Imphal, also denounced the curbs and called upon the Central and state governments to take action. "Thangjing hill is a holy site of the Meiteis. The Centre and Manipur government should safeguard the pilgrims ready to visit the Thangjing hill," AMUCO president Pheiroijam Nando Luwang said.
Adding to the furore, the Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation alleged that the threats made by the Kuki-Zo groups were "clearly designed" to agitate the Meitei community and even trigger violence in the state again.
The Manipur government has officially recognized the historical importance of Thangjing Hill. The government, in a notification issued on February 19 last year, notified the area as protected under the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976. The notification published in the official Gazette on November 14, 2022, brings to the foreground the hill's cultural and archaeological significance.
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