GUWAHATI: Kuki-Zo tribals are opposing a pilgrimage by Meiteis at the Thangjing hill, located in Churachandpur district in Manipur.
Meiteis go on a pilgrimage to a hilltop shrine of Ibudhou Thangjing, the “guardian of the mountains,” in April every year. But last week, six Kuki-Zo organisations asked them to refrain from entering Kuki-Zo areas by crossing the buffer zone.
In a joint statement, they had stated, “Unless and until a political settlement is reached by the Government of India for the Kuki-Zo community under the Constitution of India, no such friendly approach to the jurisdiction of Kuki-Zo land will be allowed for the Meitei community.”
Members from the Kuki-Zo community staged a demonstration at the Thangjing hill on Sunday, opposing the pilgrimage.
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh appealed to the Kuki-Zo community to reconsider the decision.
“Kukis, Nagas, Muslims and Meiteis have been living together in Manipur since time immemorial. On behalf of the Congress party, I would like to appeal to our Kuki brothers to reconsider the decision,” Ibobi said while talking to the media on Monday.
“One day or the other, we will definitely live together in Manipur. We are all Manipuris. We are not in favour of illegal immigrants, but the indigenous people have to live together,” he further stated.
Imphal-based All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) urged the Centre and the Manipur government to take appropriate actions against those blocking the pilgrimage.
“Thangjing hill is a sacred place of the Meiteis. Centre and Manipur government should protect the pilgrims willing to go to the Thangjing hill,” AMUCO president Pheiroijam Nando Luwang said.
Earlier, the ‘Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation’ viewed the threat issued by the Kuki-Zo groups as “clearly designed” to engineer a fresh round of violence by provoking the Meiteis.
On February 19 last year, the Manipur government had stated, “Thangjing (Thang Ching) is a hill of historical importance because of which Government of Manipur had declared it as a protected site under section 4 of the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976, vide Gazette No.376 dated 14/11/2022.”