Working Committee Kuki CSOs Ukhrul Condemns Selective Security Arrangements and Rejects Attempts to Implicate Kuki-Zos in NH-202 Firing

Working Committee Kuki CSOs Ukhrul(WCKCSOS) has categorically rejected what it called a premature attribution of the firing incident around 4:50 in the evening on November 4 to the Kuki-Zo community, particularly allegations suggesting that civilian vehicles plying along NH-202 were deliberately targeted by Kuki-Zo village volunteers.

The committee issued a release on Wednesday and stated that assigning blame without establishing the facts is irresponsible, prejudicial and unacceptable.

Information available indicates that suspected NSCN(IM) cadres opened fire in the forest stretch between Phaisihom and Khaopilen, covering the Mongkot Chepu and Chepu Yaolen forest areas, stated the release.

As per the committee, the incident occurred against the backdrop of an armed confrontation between NSCN(IM) and ZUF(J) at Noney, Tamenglong district on Wednesday , resulting in one NSCN(IM) cadre and three ZUF(J) cadres being killed.

The committee stated that the possibility that the intrusion and firing were intended to divert attention from the internal conflict and implicate the Kuki-Zo community cannot be dismissed.

Stating that deliberate provocation and blame-shifting are neither unprecedented nor unfamiliar tactics the committee added that NSCN(IM) cannot be permitted to operate with impunity while the Kuki-Zos are conveniently made the default suspects for every firing incident in their vicinity.

Accusing the state government of glaringly unequal security dispensation, the committee stated that Tangkhul civilians are facilitated with escorted movement along NH-202, while Kuki-Zo civilians are denied comparable security arrangements despite persistent threats to their lives.

“This is nothing short of stepmotherly treatment. While one community enjoys facilitated movement, Kuki-Zos are conveniently blamed for every disruption or impediment to the highway's functioning”, the release stated.

The committee also stated that the repeated instances of unhindered movement by NSCN(IM) cadres further raise serious questions about the security establishment's consistency and impartiality.

“The Kuki-Zos cannot remain perpetual victims of violence and simultaneously be held responsible for every act of violence occurring around them. The security establishment must abandon selective attribution of blame and ensure that allegations are assessed on evidence rather than community identity” stated the release.

WCKCSOs-Ukhrul demands the immediate extension of escorted movement facilities and adequate security arrangements to Kuki-Zo civilians along NH-202, on par with those afforded to Tangkhul civilians.

The committee stated that the state government cannot continue to facilitate the mobility of one community while leaving another exposed to persistent security threats and subsequently holding it responsible for every disruption.

“Security cannot be a privilege for one community, a vulnerability for another, and a pretext to assign blame to the latter. Equal protection is a constitutional obligation, not a discretionary favour”, the committee stated.