Congress failed to start dialogue, says KNO

CHURACHANDPUR: The Nagaland BJP Kuki National Organization (KNO), a conglomerate of 17 Kuki militant organizations which are signatories of the ongoing Suspension of Operation (Soo) with the government, lambasted the Congress government for its failure to initiate political dialogue with the outfits. Speaking on the sidelines of KNO's 27th 'raising day' at Churachandpur district headquarters, about 65 km from Imphal, organization spokesman Seilen Haokip said the Centre's failure to hold political dialogue with Soo signatories reflected its incompetence.
In what could be a big blow to the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the KNO said it is awaiting a 'competent' government which would comply with its demands.
The KNO, the United People's Front (UPF), which has five militant groups under it, the Centre and the state government had signed the Soo in August 2008. Both KNO and UPF demand a separate Kuki state to be carved out of Manipur. The cadres, who receive a stipend from the government, were put up at their designated camps in the hill districts.
Seilen said six years of tripartite engagement without holding dialogue with the signatories was very impractical. He added that it was the government's task to initiate dialogue with the organization.
"Considering that the Congress government is incompetent to look into our legitimate cause, we are waiting for a competent government to be formed after the Lok Sabha polls," he said. However, he added that there was no question of boycotting Congress and the organization would be neutral in the elections.
Speaking during the event, KNO president P S Haokip said the day marked unification and strength of the Kuki people over the years. He said the Zo people were dispersed across three countries-India, Myanmar and Bangladesh and they had come together as one people under the Zo Re-Unification Organization (ZORO).
"We are Mizo in Mizoram, Chin in Chin state, Kachin in Kachin state and Kuki in Saigaing division of Myanmar, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and Tripura in India and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh," he added.
"I exhort every KNO civil official, cadre and Kuki citizen to commit to ZORO so that we may achieve the liberation of our ethnic people. We can then receive our due rights as laid down by the United Nations," he said.