Imphal, June 20, 2025: The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) has issued a strong rebuttal to the recent press statement made by the Foothill Naga Co-ordination Committee (FNCC), calling it “arrogant” and “underestimating” towards the Kuki community. The statement, dated June 18, had reportedly made derogatory references to Kukis, prompting a detailed response from WKZIC.
In a press release issued by its Directorate of Information & Publicity, WKZIC urged the FNCC to “read between the lines” and take a deeper look at historical facts before issuing provocative statements. The council clarified that no Kuki SoO (Suspension of Operations) designated camps are located in what FNCC terms as “Kacha Naga Areas,” firmly stating that the Kukis have long-standing territorial claims dating back centuries.
WKZIC cited documented historical regions of the Khongjai Hills, later known as Kuki Hills, referring to British colonial maps and administrative records from as early as 1741 to 1942. These include the British-demarcated regions of Mombi (Lonpi), Chassad, Jampi, and Haokip Reserved/Songpi Sub-Division - all of which are identified as distinct Kuki territories in official British documents. These references include numerous orders and maps from British officers such as T.A. Sharpe, Mr. Cosgrave, and Sir Nicholas Beatson Bell, among others.
The release further explained that after the Anglo-Kuki War of 1917–1919, the British colonial administration intentionally left the Kuki Hills as part of Outer Manipur, in contrast to the creation of separate tribal states like Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya. The British allegedly did so as a punitive act against the Kukis who had fiercely resisted them, while rewarding other tribes that had supported them in the World War I Labour Corps missions to France and Mesopotamia.
Responding to the FNCC's usage of terms like “immigrants” and “refugees,” WKZIC called such language undignified and factually incorrect, urging FNCC leaders to behave with “decency and maturity.” The council asserted that Kukis have strict war ethics and do not provoke or engage in conflict unless challenged, deprived of their rights, or forced into self-defense.
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The WKZIC also reminded the FNCC and Kacha Naga groups of the 130-day UNC economic blockade in 2017, which, though aimed at the Meitei community, had adversely affected Kukis as well. Despite this, Kukis chose to remain calm, showing moral support for the cause of the United Naga Council (UNC), exemplifying a commitment to peaceful coexistence.
The statement concluded by appealing to FNCC and its supporters to refrain from divisive rhetoric, embrace truth and history, and work together in a spirit of peace and Christian values for a better, coexistent future in Manipur.
