The Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, has stated that blaming the Kuki-Zo community for the ambush on the Assam Rifles on July 6 in a location predominantly inhabited by Tangkhuls is not only devoid of credibility but also borders on the absurd.
Responding to claims made by social media users and a Tangkhul organisation, the so-called Khanuithot Khon, alleging that Kuki terrorists attacked the Assam Rifles at Nongshangkhong in Ukhrul district, the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, issued a statement.
The committee stated that the hostile ambush on a convoy of the 40 Assam Rifles at Nongshangkhong, just a few kilometres from Finch Corner, resulting in the deaths of Warrant Officer (W/O) Balwan Singh and Havildar C.M. Singh, was a heinous act that deserves unequivocal condemnation.
"It is appalling to see the rush by sections of Tangkhul social media users and Khanuithot Khon to attribute the Assam Rifles ambush at Nongshangkhong—a location predominantly inhabited by Tangkhuls and encircled by Tangkhul villages—to the Kuki-Zo community, an action that is not only devoid of credibility but also borders on the absurd. It is amusing to witness Khanuithot Khon's confidence in believing that this latest attempt to pin the Assam Rifles ambush on the Kuki-Zo community would find any credibility," the WC Kuki CSOs said.
The committee stated that the daylight attack on India's security forces is a grim reminder of the persistent threat posed by NSCN (IM)—a threat that Kuki-Zo villages and civilians have repeatedly endured while being paradoxically portrayed as the perpetrators instead of the victims.
Highlighting a series of incidents on the day of the attack, the committee stated that an unannounced bandh by Meitei and Tangkhul women at Yaingangpokpi at around 8 a.m., before the ambush on the Assam Rifles, disrupted the movement of goods until security forces restored normalcy.
Later, at around 2 p.m., Tangkhul militants allegedly disguised as civilians fired towards Chepu Yaolen from the Lamlang Gate–New Heaven area, terrifying Kuki-Zo farmers. Barely 30 minutes later came the deadly ambush on the Assam Rifles convoy at Nongshangkhong, the release added.
By around 5:10 p.m., further firing towards the Kuki-Zo cultivation areas bordering Ringui Village once again forced Kuki-Zo jhum cultivators to flee.
The Kuki CSO Working Committee stated that these were not merely claims but incidents documented by several government agencies deployed in the area.
Yet, despite this sequence of events, the first reports from the Manipur Valley referred to the assailants in the Nongshangkhong ambush merely as "Sakkhangdaba," or unknown persons, while incidents in Kuki-Zo areas have routinely and prematurely been branded as the work of "Kuki militants."
The committee stated that the Kuki-Zo people have consistently placed their faith in the Constitution of India and have remained law-abiding citizens. Yet, they continue to be vilified through a narrative that reflexively assigns blame to them whenever violence erupts, irrespective of the facts.
If the government is genuinely committed to identifying those responsible and restoring public confidence, the committee demanded that it order search operations in Tangkhul villages and areas suspected of serving as launch pads for NSCN (IM). The committee also urged the government to undertake a comprehensive review of the ceasefire framework with NSCN (IM)—whose members do not identify themselves as Indians—to ensure that the ceasefire is not being exploited to facilitate violence against security forces or innocent civilians.
The committee extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the battalion and saluted the sacrifice of the brave personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
