Lagatar24 Desk
Churachnadpur, July 12: The Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum (ITLF) apologised to the Kuki Zo people on Wednesday for their “misguidance and conflict with Meitei people” in Manipur.
In an official statement, ITLF stated, “The Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum, a leading organisation committed to the welfare and unity of indigenous communities, acknowledges and deeply regrets the misguided actions that resulted in brainwashing and involvement of innocent Kuki Zo people in the unfortunate conflict with the Meitei people in Manipur”.
The organisation went on to say that it acknowledges that the core of its goal is to promote peace and coexistence while fostering harmony and mutual respect among various indigenous communities.
“It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge our failure in fulfilling these core principles, leading to the unintended consequences that have impacted both the Kuki Zo and Meitei communities”, the statement added.
Extending an apology, it said, “We extend our sincerest apologies to the innocent Kuki Zo people whose trust was misplaced and who were inadvertently drawn into the conflict”.
The ITLF further stated that it vowed to correct the problem by undertaking steps such as opening up communication between the two communities, implementing restorative measures and conducting an open evaluation of its organisational procedures and decision-making frameworks.
The All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) rally on May 3 sparked clashes between the Christian tribal Kuki and the Hindu Meiteis in Manipur.
The entire State has been engulfed in violence for more than a month and the Central government has to use paramilitary forces to bring things under control.
Following the demand for the Meitei community to be classified as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), violence broke out in Manipur.
The Meitei community is the majority community. They reside in the Imphal Valley and nearby areas. Due to their increased population, there was an increased demand for land.
Hilly land can only be purchased by STs. They, therefore, applied for the ST status in order to obtain land in the mountainous areas.
