Manipur CM warns against threats to state’s integrity amidst Mizoram CM’s Kuki-Zo remark

IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 7: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh issued a firm rebuttal to the recent remarks made by Mizoram’s Chief Minister during his visit to the United States, that any challenges to the integrity of Manipur and India “would be met with a firm response”.

Singh refrained from commenting directly on Lalduhoma’s reported remarks but made it clear that anyone challenging the integrity of Manipur or India would face a “befitting reply”. “Anyone who dares to challenge the integrity of Manipur or India will be given a fitting response. India is a vast and united nation and the integrity of both Manipur and India is non-negotiable. Our GFovernment is committed to maintaining national unity and strength and making India strong is our duty”, Singh said, on the sidelines of Herbert School’s Silver Jubilee celebration in Imphal, on Thursday.

The Chief Minister’s comments come in the wake of statements made by Mizoram CM Lalduhoma during a Kuki diaspora gathering in the United States in September.

There, Lalduhoma had reportedly expressed support for the unification of the Kuki-Zo people under a single leadership, “even if it meant transcending national borders”.

His remarks, which included references to the Kuki people as “one people unjustly divided under three different Governments”, have sparked widespread criticism for challenging India’s territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, the Opposition too has strongly condemned Mizoram Chief Minister’s remarks. At a press meet on Wednesday, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief spokesperson Hareshwar Goswami criticised the Lalduhoma’s statement, accusing him of undermining both the unity of India and Manipur.

Goswami called on the Centre to address the matter, calling the remarks a threat to national cohesion.

The controversy surrounding Lalduhoma’s statements has intensified after they were officially endorsed by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of Mizoram, lending them the weight of an official Government position. The statement’s endorsement has raised concerns among many about the implications for regional unity and peace.

(Courtesy: AT)