THE Kuki National Army (KNA) has expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table in-lieu of a formal recognition of its demands by the Government of India. KNA Commander-in-Chief Vipin Haokip said ‘We are open to talks provided the government recognizes our long standing demand for a separate Kuki homeland.

Kukis dominate three hill districts of Manipur.

KNA chief said, "The Kukis were discriminated against since the colonial days. The foremost account of our tribe described as ‘Kuki raiders’ by British historians put us in a bad light because we were the first ones to defend our lands from the imperialists. Sadly, the situation has not changed much since India’s Independence. Our demand for a separate state is held in abeyance by the successive governments. Even our support to the MNF did not bear fruit as the Centre refused to "include the Kuki inhabited regions of Manipur inside Mizoram during the "signing of the Mizo peace accord."

Commenting on the present scenario, the KNA chief said that the forming of the outfit in 1990 was a step in desperation primarily to counter an anti-Kuki campaign led by Th Muivah of the NSCN (IM) faction. "Muivah’s animosity with us could be because of the fact that he too belongs to Manipur, the main scene of Kuki-Naga rivalry for a long time now," he "stated. "Taking up arms against the ethnic genocide was the last option for us. We have evidence that Th Muivah distributed videotapes depicting the Kukis killing the Nagas and had the Nagas incited against the Kukis." he said.

"Meanwhile we are interested to clear out the misgivings that have arisen lately about the aims of KNA," he said. ""Unlike projected in a propaganda war against KNA by some vested interests, we are not a secessionist organization, we respect the territorial integrity of our country India and "would very much like to remain a part of it. But we want formal recognition as a race with distinct cultural and ethnic identity as this is necessary for our survival and protection," the KNA chief clarified.

"Sadly, the negotiations between the Centre and the KNA could never materialize because the NSCN (IM) had warned the Centre against talking to the Kukis before the ongoing talks with NSCN (IM) are over, Haokip alleged. He also alleged that Kuki outfits like KRA and UKLF followed the dictates of the NSCN (IM) and depended directly on it for their survival

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