Nagaon, Aug. 21: The United People?s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) today came down heavily on the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) for moving the Union home ministry against the Karbi outfit.

The KNA had recently submitted a memorandum to the Union home ministry urging it not to consider the UPDS? demand for self-rule. They had accused the Karbi group of violating the human rights of the Kukis in the hill district.

?More than 20 Kuki villagers remained untracked after they had been kidnapped by the Karbi outfits during the past three years,? the memorandum had stated.

The Kuki group apprised the ministry about the six-month-long ethnic clash between the Karbis and Kukis in the district from October 2003 in which hundreds of villagers were killed.

The group also claimed that the formation of a separate regional council for the Kukis in Karbi Anglong was the only option left for lasting peace in the region.

The UPDS joint secretary, Wajeru Mukrang, has clearly stated that the decade-long struggle of the Karbi outfit is to safeguard the rights of all the deprived indigenous communities of the twin hill districts of Assam.

The UPDS considers the attempt of the KNA to stand in the way of achieving this goal as anti-people. It also warned the KNA leadership that they would have to face the might of the strong community as the Karbis would not tolerate anybody speaking against the decade-long legitimacy of a homeland.

?It is indeed very unfortunate that the KNA leaders, who reportedly submitted the memorandum, have fallen easy prey to the anti-Karbi Anglong forces due to their own opportunist tendencies and preventing the Kuki community as a whole to develop cordial relationship with the mainstream people of Karbi Anglong,? the release added.