Plight of the Kukis of Nagaland

Recently, it was heard from some social media platforms that the government of Nagaland is going to stop benefits and privileges over indigenous issues to some communities which include the Kuki community too.

In this regard, I felt constrained to share my opinion to make some historical facts clear on what actually is the status of the Kukis in the history of Nagaland.

One of the most creditable platforms of history where the world came to know the Naga as a nation, and the foundation of the Naga political movement is the Naga club, in which we are also one of the stakeholders.

Again, in 1951, in order to further strengthen the declaration of Naga independence on 14 August, a referendum had been held under the leadership of our father Mr. A.Z. Phizo, where many of our forefathers appended their signature with “YES” and the signature they put on these important records were not meant for the Kukis alone, but for all of us. And, it was speculated that one of the three delegates headed by Mr. Phizo, was from our community who went to submit this plebiscite to Jawaharlal Nehru in March 1952.

Politically, our hopes and beliefs are determined by these facts.

The history of Nagaland is our history and the national movement of the Nagas is our movement; we have no separate history or movement. We are hand in hand with the Nagas throughout our political history.

Emotionally too, we laughed when you laughed and cried when you cried. And we are quite satisfied and proud to be a Naga, when we see our forefathers had their identity Kuki with a suffix Naga, though people with vested interest may not like it. Even today, we are holding on to these principles.

Taking these facts into account, it is quite disheartening to be stripped off our rights and privileges today in spite of our sacrifices and contribution to the Naga cause.

Now, the question arises - even if we don’t deserve the same degree of treatment with our forefathers’ peer group, didn’t we deserve, in the least, the same degree of treatment with the ones who came late? Or, are we left to remain unaccounted?

Though we remained unrepresented in the house of lawmakers, which might be our own fault, we are pursuing “A light at the end of the tunnel” of our collective struggle for Naga self-determination.

Here, my intention is not to undermine the legitimate authority of the government, but to let it known to all--how we feel and think of ourselves—living in this beautiful land called Nagaland.

May God bless us all.

Paovom Vaiphei

President, Kuki Tribal Union

NNC/ FGN