Nagas not neutral but on the side of peace: HAC chief
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Mamang
Ukhrul, September 22 2023:
In the current unrest in Manipur, the Nagas have largely been seen as a neutral party.
However, the chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), Dinganglung Gangmei, begs to differ on this.
He says Nagas in the state should not be seen as neutral in the present unrest but rather on the side of peace.
"We are not neutral; we are on the side of peace in the current situation.
Our position is clear; we, Nagas, are for peace and are working on restoring peace as soon as possible," the HAC chief stated in an interview in Ukhrul town on Friday.
He said the Nagas, drawn from across the political, religious, and social spectrum, have been longing for the restoration of peace and harmony in the state.
"As peace-loving citizens of Manipur, we all want to enjoy a peaceful environment so that we can focus on development and the future," he said.
Dinganglung informed that the government has set up a peace reconciliation committee of the legislators, adding that as HAC chairman, he was made the chairman of the committee with legislators from the Nagas and Meitei Pangals as its members.
The chairman said he is keeping in touch with his members and reaching out to stakeholders, trying to sort out differences to bring peace to the state.
"We are working on restoring normalcy and peace in the state," he continued, noting certain challenges in the process.
"As the HAC chairman, I want to say that the situation has come to such a critical juncture where we all should stay together as one and live together and think for our future generation.
We don't have any alternative but to live together as one," he reminded.
"So the first step towards peace is the openness of our leaders, especially from both the communities.
Until and unless they come out openly, it will be very difficult for others to intervene," he added.
He said dialogue has to happen.
"As long as we stay aloof from each other, we won't be able to bring peace.
So my humble appeal to all the stakeholders and leaders who love Manipur and our great nation is to come together, put our heads together, and try to sort out the differences and find an amicable solution.
Recalling communal violence in the past, Dinganglung stated: "We learned from past incidents.
History has taught us that all issues have to be resolved by sitting across the table, and a dialogue has to happen".
According to the HAC leader, in the ongoing peace process, the union government under the leadership of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and the state government are extending full cooperation and support to all the leaders who are working on it.
He also appealed to all the church leaders and CSO leaders to come out of their comfort zones and partake in the peace process to find a solution in the current imbroglio.
Observing that violence would never bring peace and progress, he said it was high time for better sense to prevail.
"In this kind of crisis, there won't be any victors or vanquished.
So the best option now is, even if we have any differences, we should find out and struggle together constitutionally and democratically with the parliamentary process of the political procedures," he added.
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