Political negotiation under SoO Kuki CSOs accuse Govt
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 17 2012: Five years into the process and a large number of Kuki civil society organisations, including student bodies have started raising questions on which direction the political dialogue held under the Suspension of Agreement is headed towards.

This question was raised after a People's Consultative Meeting held at M Monpi village under Chakpikarong sub-division of Chandel district today.

Jointly organised by the Kuki Peoples' Forum, Chandel, Sunpi Area and Kana Area, Kuki Chiefs' Association of Khengjoi area, Kuki Women Movement for Human Rights, Kuki Students' Organisation and Kuki Women Union, the People's Consultative Meeting dwelt at length on the progress of SoO which is already five years in the process.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, president of Kuki Peoples' Forum J Baite and vice president of KSO, Khengjoi area, Touthang said that today's meeting by and large expressed skepticism of any political solution arising out of the SoO process.

Peoples consultative meet underway

"We therefore urge the Centre and the State Government to chalk out a political solution as it is already five years since the process has been put on track," they said.

It is a given that once the SoO came into force all the groups affiliated to the United Peoples' Front have ceased to be underground organisations, they reasoned.

Though the groups have been adhering to the ground rules of SoO for the past five years, the Centre and the State Government issued strict instructions to the UPF during a meeting held on August 30 this year to deposit all their arms to the nearest police stations, they said.

Instead of trying to work out a political settlement, the Government asking the groups to surrender their arms to the nearest police stations is a blow to the sentiments of the Kuki people, declared the two leaders.

"The Government is more keen on arms than working out a political settlement" they accused.

The Kuki UG groups entered the SoO agreement because the people were for a political settlement to the issues of the Kuki people, they said and added that in the last five years, the Government has not shown any willingness to work out a political solution.

The SoO agreement may have worked to the advantage of the Government but there is nothing to suggest that it has benefited the common people, they averred.