The Manipur government has taken legal action against a Kuki insurgent group for allegedly stoking discord among different communities in the state by renaming a revered hill and declaring it an "army camp."
The Kuki National Front (Military Council), identified as a militant organization, reportedly erected a signboard at the base of Thangjing Ching hill, designating it as the "Thangting camp" of the "Kuki Army."
Thangjing Hill holds significant cultural and religious importance for Manipuris, particularly the Meitei community, who view it as the dwelling place of Thangching, the ancestral deity of the Moirang region. Annually, Meiteis from the Moirang region undertakes a pilgrimage to the summit of the hill.
The installation of a gate bearing the inscription 'Kuki National Front-Military Council' and the renaming of the site as "Thangting" prompted an FIR filed by the Under Secretary in the Land Resources department. The complaint highlighted that this action amounted to an unauthorized alteration of the original name of Thangjing and violated the Manipur Names of Places Act 2024 and the Manipur Ancient Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1976.
The FIR, registered against the group, includes charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different religious groups, and deliberately outraging religious sentiments, among others.
The Thangjing Ching range, situated between Moirang town and Churachandpur district, holds particular significance in light of the ethnic tensions that erupted in nearby areas on May 3, 2023. Moreover, the local community in Moirang, known for the largest freshwater lake in the northeast, Loktak, reveres Ibudhou Thangjing as the guardian deity of the area.
