~ Robert Haokip (NEHU, Shillong)

The Kuki Nampi Consultative Meeting concludes yesterday amid high publicity and fanfare. It was intended to discuss the various issues confronting the Kuki nation and suggest policy measures so as to take drastic action for national reconstruction.

It was my ardent urge to attend the meeting and share my thoughts as the issues may arise accordingly. However, the ‘public emergency’ called by the United Committee, Manipur (UCM) demanding the cancellation of the Government of India’s permission to Th. Muivah to visit his native village Somdal in Ukhrul district and the sudden withdrawal of the ‘public emergency’ just before the scheduled date have an impact not only on my plan to attend the meeting but also gave a cloud to the organisers.

I hope that the meeting may raise several core issues and problems besetting our nation. In the past, such meetings discussed strategic and political concerns. But it often misses the vital lifeblood to meet such goals.

Kuki Inpi is proclaimed to be the apex body of the Kukis with its main goal to look after the interests of the Kuki people. But the apex body is mired with its own limitations ranging from demands by the younger generation to democraticise to internal dissension between the Inpi leaders in the past. What annoys me more is when the Inpi is a mute spectator in acute national crisis like the ‘Nungbrang Incident’ where two Kuki Students’ Organisation, Shillong executive members were lynched mercilessly by restive Nungbrang villagers or the ‘Thangjing Incident’ where pilgrims of a particular community murdered two of our kinsmen and injuring several others.

The Kuki Students Organisation, General Headquarter must be well appreciated for their untiring efforts in such incidents and several other issues. However, their efforts are often diluted mid-way. The reasons are best known to them. As the Bible says ‘the righteous are bold as a lion’ (Proverbs 28:1), only when we stand on the truth we can face even the Chief Minister and speak-out for our nation with boldness. Compromising national interests with petty gains must be uprooted.

The recent recruitment of government school teachers in our dominated areas is filled with controversies. The intention of such recruitment is not only to employ and uplift qualified graduates from a particular area but also to educate the poor children through such employed graduates as teachers.

There are tens of people appointed from a non-intended particular community. How that happens, can’t our Non Governmental Organisations raise such issues? One objective of revolutionary groups should be to safeguard fair selection. Are they in tune with that? The press releases in this regard tell a lot.

These are some of the glaring instances recently. But there are a whole lot of issues and incidents involving our people. Leaders may talk about and plan big big things, but there are certain things which must not be overlooked or considered trivial. Small things may sound too insignificant to take trouble. But it is in these small things and issues that we often stumble and lost the war. Like the popular phrase ‘Small is Beautiful’, it is only when little things are considered fundamental and small issues are taken seriously, the national reconstruction process can proceed smoothly.