Manipur's sacred hill renamed as Kuki 'army camp', FIR filed against militant group
Manipur's sacred hill renamed as Kuki 'army camp', FIR filed against militant group
The Manipur government has filed an FIR against a Kuki insurgent group after it renamed a sacred hill of the valley dominated by the Meitei community and claimed the area as its "army camp."
The Kuki National Front (Military Council), a militant organisation, had installed a signboard at the base of the Thangjing Ching hill, calling it "Thangting camp" of the "Kuki Army."
The Thangjing Hill is believed by Manipuris to be the abode of Thangching, the ancestral deity of Moirang region. The Meiteis of the Moirang region carry out an annual pilgrimage to the top of the hill.
Following the erection of a gate bearing the words 'Kuki National Front-Military Council' with the site named as "Thangting", the Under Secretary in the Land Resources department filed an FIR. The FIR stated, "The erection of a gate bearing the words Kuki National Front Military Council with the name of the site mentioned as Thangting indicates unauthorised changing of the original name of Thangjing."
"It's a violation of the Manipur Names of Places Act 2024 and the Manipur Ancient Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1976. Thangjing is a hill of historical importance, and the Art and Culture department, GoM, had declared it a protected site," the complaint said.
The FIR has been registered on charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs, among other charges.
The Thangjing Ching range lies between Moirang town and Churachandpur district, 40 km apart. Churachandpur and nearby areas are where ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023. The people in Moirang, home to the northeast's largest freshwater lake, Loktak, also consider the deity Ibudhou Thangjing the area's guardian.
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