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DIMAPUR — The NSCN (IM) on Sunday acknowledged that the Naga, Meitei, and Kuki communities have “historical connections.” However, Naga people should not be misled by propaganda aimed at diluting the Naga national identity, as parties may use these historical connections to advance their own interests, it said.
In a press release, the NSCN (IM) referred to the recent issue of ‘brotherhood’ between the Tangkhul and Meitei communities and emphasised that the narrative is primarily associated with the Hundung village royal family and a few Meitei clans in the Imphal valley, and it does not represent the entire Tangkhul community.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The MIP pointed out that individual inter-tribal marriages do not necessarily imply a tribe-level bond; rather, they are relationships between specific families. All Tangkhuls are not part of the Hungdung royal family, it said.
Clarifying that it has no hostility towards the Meiteis and Kukis, the NSCN (IM) stated that in the past, brotherhood was primarily defined by blood ties. However, in contemporary times, ideological and faith-based bonds also play a significant role. It used the example of Pakistan and India, East Bengal and West Bengal to illustrate how political and religious factors can divide communities with common cultural and linguistic roots.
In this context, the NSCN (IM) emphasised the need for a correct foundation for coexistence by saying “We love our Meitei and Kuki brothers and sisters and we respect them. But we know we have been living here together without a political foundation. We must live together, but on the correct foundation.”
Apart from the common bloodline, to coexist harmoniously, there should be alignment in terms of political language and faith, it said while asserting that “We must build our world on the foundation of a living history and not on concocted history.”
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