𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲? 𝐍𝐒𝐂𝐍-𝐈𝐌 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 ‘𝐊𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞’ 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) on Tuesday exposed that the ongoing inter-community clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis, along with disputes involving the Nagas, are being used as pretexts to legitimize the creation of a separate “Kuki state” or “Kuki homeland.”

In a statement issued by its External Publicity Wing (EPW), the NSCN-IM accused the Indian government of using the Kuki community to execute what it described as a “master plan,” stating that the current situation in Manipur and Nagaland represents a phase of “Indian-state terrorism” and reflects its hegemonic geopolitical ambitions.

The NSCN-IM further alleged that violence perpetrated by Indian-backed Kuki militants, who it claimed are trained and armed under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, follows a deliberate pattern. According to the outfit, in this narrative, Kukis are portrayed as victims while “the others” are labeled as perpetrators.

“Kukis are aliens and refugees, and they have become willing pawns in the hands of the Indian state, as the result would benefit them at the expense of others,” the statement alleged.

“The politics of labeling is a potent strategy to legitimize a hidden political agenda of the enemy. Hence, the inter-community clash between the Meiteis and the Kukis, the construction of the ‘German Road/Tiger Road’ in Naga areas, the burning and destruction of Naga houses in Ukhrul district, and unprovoked attacks on Nagas in Nagaland are purely pretexts to legitimize the creation of a territorial entity called the Kuki state/Kuki homeland for the so-called ‘victims,’ which is, in fact, part of a larger militaristic geopolitical strategy of the Indian state,” the NSCN-IM stated.

The statement further claimed that India’s strategy involves dividing the Nagas by creating factions, fragmenting “Nagalim” territory, and waging what it described as a proxy war using Kuki groups under the SoO agreement.

“Its policy of weaponizing Kuki terrorists transcends its borders. Like a chameleon, the Kuki terrorists trained and supported in the present Indian territory are exported and transformed into a pro-democracy People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Burma (present-day Myanmar), which is, in effect, an extension of the Kuki homeland/Kuki state agenda,” the statement alleged.

The NSCN-IM further claimed that the Kukis were originally brought from the Chin Hills of Burma (Myanmar) by British imperial authorities, armed with muzzle-loading guns, and settled in Naga territory to act as a buffer against the Nagas.