Imphal, Nov 7 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Thursday said that no one can touch India and Manipur's integrity, adding that anyone challenging it will get a befitting reply. Biren Singh said this while reacting to reports of his Mizoram counterpart Lalduhoma proposing unification of Kuki-Zo under a single leadership.

According to reports, the Mizoram Chief Minister made the remarks while addressing a Kuki diaspora gathering in the US on September 4.

Lalduhoma, President of the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), reportedly announced his support for uniting Kuki and similar ethnic groups under a single leadership and nationhood, even if it meant transcending the existing border between India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The Manipur Chief Minister said: "I don't want to make any comment on his (Lalduhoma) observation. However, as a proud Indian, as Chief Minister of Manipur and as a nationalist, I can say that no one can touch India's integrity. No one can touch Manipur's integrity. India is not a small but a big country. We should be proud of being Indian.

"We would stand for India, and we would stand for the unity and integrity of Bharat. It is our duty to keep Bharat strong and united. Anyone challenging this would be given a befitting reply."

Notably, Mizoram has provided shelter to over 30,000 Myanmarese nationals, and they are currently living in different camps, government buildings and rented houses in all 11 districts of Mizoram.

The state, which shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh, also provided shelter to over 2,000 tribals from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh.

Mizoram also sheltered around 7,800 refugees belonging to the Kuki-Zo community, who fled to the state from neighbouring Manipur after the ethnic violence broke out in the state in May last year.

The Myanmarese nationals took shelter in Mizoram in phases after the military takeover in the conflict-ridden country in February 2021, while Bangladeshi tribals also took shelter in Mizoram from November 2022 after they fled from their villages in CHT following ethnic troubles in the neighbouring country.

The refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur belong to the Kuki-Zo-Chin-Hmar-Bawm tribal community who also share ethnic, traditional, cultural and linguistic ties with the Mizos of Mizoram.

Mizoram's ruling ZPM and opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) have been expressing solidarity with the violence-hit Kuki-Zo people of Manipur.

The previous Mizoram government led by MNF had strongly opposed the Centre's advice not to provide shelter to the Myanmar refugees.

Following the ethnic clashes in Manipur and ahead of assembly polls in Mizoram, Zo unification has become an important electoral issue in last year's November 7 assembly election in Mizoram.

Zo unification means bringing all ethnic communities -- Mizos of Mizoram, Kuki-Zos of Manipur, Chin tribe of Myanmar and Bangladesh - under one administrative umbrella.

A vast hill area of Manipur, adjoining Mizoram, is inhabited by the Kuki-Zo community.

Ten tribal Manipur MLAs, seven of them belonging to the ruling BJP, have been demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory in Manipur for the tribals.

The ethnic violence between the non-tribals Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out in the northeastern state on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

/IANS