Naga body criticises Kukis for “distorting” Manipur’s history

An apex body of 20 Naga tribes on August 21 stirred a debate on indigeneity by slamming the Kuki-Zo community for allegedly distorting the history of Manipur.

The United Naga Council (UNC) said the Kuki-Zo people have no land in Manipur at all and the name of their community was first heard when the British “planted” them on the Naga hills between 1830 and 1840.

The advent of the British brought about many unwanted changes in Manipur and “one of the problems we inherited” from the colonial rule “is the issue of the planting of the Kuki tribe”, the UNC said.