The Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT) has expressed condemnation for making an effort to climb the Thangjing Ching (Hills) in the name of religion and said it’s a provocation to create a problem.
Meanwhile, the Manipur MP and King Sanajaoba Leisemba, in a sideline of an event in Sana Konung in Imphal on Wednesday during a media query, opined that such a dictate imposed is against freedom of religion, which is completely against the Constitution of India, and appeals to the authority to oversee such hegemony over religious pilgrimage.
Thangjing (Ching-Kaba) is an important yearly pilgrimage carried out since the erstwhile period by the Meitei community, where the people on the pilgrimage offer sacred rituals to the shrine located in the hill.
A statement issued by the KIT said, until separate administration is granted, Meitei should not come to our land and respect the buffer zone. The Kuki-Zo community highly opposes their plan to move toward the hill, which is dominated by the Kuki-Zo community, as there is no political solution to our problem. Moreover, the hatred carried by the Meiteis against the Kuki-Zo is so deep, and the separation between the two communities is well known by the whole world.
Earlier, the Meitei Heritage Society condemned the statement by Kuki-Zo CSOs, terming it “unconstitutional and provocative.” The group appealed to both the Centre and the state government to take immediate steps.
“Since ancient times, the Meiteis have gone on an annual pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine of Ibudhou Thangjing, the guardian deity of the mountains,” the Meitei group said. “This illegal obstruction is akin to stopping Hindus from reaching Kailash Parbat or Muslims from going to Mecca. It violates fundamental rights, including freedom of movement and religious practice.”
