IMPHAL, Jan 13: The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) on Tuesday strongly rejected statements issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) regarding the gunfire incident of January 8, terming them misleading and a misrepresentation of the ground situation.
In a press communiqué issued by its Ministry of Information and Publicity, ZUF said the claims portraying the incident as an act of intimidation against “innocent villagers” were inaccurate and failed to reflect factual realities.
The outfit alleged that credible and verified inputs indicate the systematic establishment of fortified bunkers by Kuki underground groups at village entry points, residential courtyards and surrounding areas. According to ZUF, such militarisation contradicts any attempt to portray these locations as purely civilian or non-combatant zones.
ZUF also expressed serious concern over alleged actions of KNF-P cadres, including vandalisation of public infrastructure such as a waiting shed and other properties belonging to Ireng Zeliangrong Inpui Naga village. It further alleged that threats were issued to burn down the entire village and cause harm to residents.
“These actions constitute grave violations of law and order and represent a direct infringement upon indigenous land rights and public safety,” the statement said.
The Front asserted that encroachment upon ancestral land through intimidation, coercion or misrepresentation of indigenous status cannot be legitimised through propaganda or force. It stated that it would not remain a “mute spectator” to what it described as illegal encroachment, organised criminal activities or the presence of illicit drug networks within its ancestral territory.
Reaffirming its stand, ZUF said it remains committed to safeguarding its people, land and property from all forms of illegal encroachment. “The ancestral heritage of the Zeliangrong Inpui people is inviolable, and not even an inch shall be conceded,” the communiqué stated.
