The United Naga Council (UNC), in a statement released on Monday, bluntly opposed the Kuki-Zo demand for separate administration in Manipur and said that such “wild venture will lead the Kukis to nowhere today and in future” while also scripting a “bad history for unending enmity between us”.

The council, which is an apex body of Nagas of Manipur, said that the British colonial rule brought many unwanted changes and problems including the “planting of the Kuki tribe in the Naga hills” and even went to refer to them as mercenaries, the British found useful to crush indigenous communities of Manipur.

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Reacting strongly to the representations submitted by the Kuki-Zo to the Government of India, the Prime Minister of Israel, the European Parliament, United Nations Organization and others, it accused the Kuki-Zo of making false claims on land in an “attempt to befool those authorities”.

“…. the name Kukis were first heard sometime between 1830-1840” and therefore the “Kuki Hill” is non-existence and utopian concoction, James Hau, the Information & Publicity Secretary alleged while referring to Kuki memorandum to Israeli PM.

It also criticised the community of attempting to distort history of Kuki rebellion of 1917 -1919 as Anglo-Kuki War to legitimize the claims of Kuki homeland within Naga ancestral homeland.

The Kuki Rebellion, UNC said, was a savage episode of murdering, torching houses, plundering and enslaving women and children of indigenous Naga community in Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong in Manipur.

“… it was never a war but a mere rebellion with the colonial power as there is no record of Anglo-Kuki War in the history of India (MHA)”, it added.

United Naga Council mentioned that it has been “putting all possible efforts to end the ongoing ethnic conflict between the warring communities Kuki-Zo and Meiteis through dialogue but unfortunately things are not turning positive as expected.”

Further, the Naga organisation slammed the Kuki-Zo people for claiming Chandel district, Tengnoupal district and Churachandpur district as “their land”. UNC asserted, “the stone megaliths, menhirs found in different parts of Churachandpur speak of the precedence of the Nagas (especially the Zeliagrongs) over the present inhabitants and the Anals and Lamkangs in Pherzawl areas.” Moreover, UNC also questioned the inclusion of nine names of Naga tribes of Chandel district into the Kuki constitution as Kuki tribes and stated that Nagas will not be silent over the issue.

The United Naga Council, in its statement, also added that it believes that it is not too late “to set the wrong to right” hoping for peace and reconciliation to return to state that has been burning under ethnic violence since 3rd May 2023.