Imphal, August 06 2010: The United Naga Council (UNC), of which president Samson Remei has been declared 'wanted' and a proclaimed offender by the Home Department, Government of Manipur, has taken strong exception to the statement of Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat given in the Upper House on August 5, and demanded an apology from her or to provide clear-cut evidence to substantiate the charges she had levelled against the UNC.

Failing which, the UNC would be compelled to file a defamation suit against her, a press release issued today by the Publicity Wing of UNC said.

It said, "It is most unfortunate that Brinda Karat, a respectable and veteran high profile politician, without first establishing the veracity of facts, could utter unfounded statement on the floor of upper house Rajya Sabha on August 5" .

"The economic blockade enforced by the All Naga Students' Association Manipur was temporarily suspended on 18th June, 2010 in deference to the appeals of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the Home Minister and leader of Opposition which was conveyed through the Naga Students federation.

However, even after a lapse of 47 days, no response for intervention on the grievances of total injustice meted out on the Naga people was forthcoming and therefore the agitation was resumed on 4th August, 2010," the press release said.

It further said, "The tendency to make one sided view on the issue creates more problems instead of addressing the volatile situation.

The projection of the oppressed tribal people as the oppressor and oppressor dominant Meitei as the oppressed is destructively mischievous in design.

The attempt to divert the focus from the oppressed people's movement by linking the agitation to the NSCN is wilful negligence of the plight of the oppressed, who have lived under repressive conditions for decades.

The unfounded utterance " tax imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) is Rs.30,000/for truck of medical supplies and Rs.11,000/for a truck of cement" can reflect three things.

Firstly, her source of information had wanted to make a fool of her before the world, secondly she is genuinely ignorant of what the UNC is and what it stands and thirdly she has purposely constructed this allegation in line with the communal hate campaign propaganda launched by the dominant Community with the support of the Communal Government of Manipur.

Is it possible that Ms Karat could have joined hands with the communal forces in Manipur against the oppressed tribals, in utter disregard of her professed ideology?" .

"The first two possibilities are forgivable but are indicative of how ignorant and uninvolved the Law makers in Delhi are about people and issues in the far north east region but yet make statements such as this in the August House based on false information.

The third possibility, if true, would be most disappointing, as the CPM had always stood for the downtrodden.

Accusing the UNC, the mass tribe based organisation of the Nagas in Manipur, as the overground front organisation of the NSCN and with imposition of tax is a serious crime and we consider this as a case where a leader of national standing has fallen prey to the propaganda of the communal dominant community.

We demand an apology for the same from Ms Karat or a clear cut evidence on the allegation and failure to provide the same may invite a defamation suit" .

"One of the most admired personality of Naga women, the Hon'ble MP, Ms.Bindra Karat this time around spoke with distorted facts and with one sided view, while her deafening silence on the brutal assault on more than 100 women and the murder of two students in the unprovoked discriminate firing at Mao gate on 6th May 2010 surely puts to question her political and moral principles.

Her view " �the problems of the Hill people should be resolved within a united Manipur" establishes that she desires the perpetuation of discrimination of the tribals in the existing dominating structure.

As a responsible law maker she needs to be aware of the decades of the systematic oppression against the Hill people by the communal State Government of Manipur, which includes her allies represented by dominant community" .

The UNC said that Ms Karat's statement had been misplaced and therefore would like to invite her to visit the hill areas in Manipur and obtain a sample of the prevailing scenario, situation and facts from the spot.

"Although our underdevelopment would not allow us to provide hospitalities befitting her status, we assure her of our humble and warm welcome.

We would like make it clear to all concern that this is a peoples' movement and will continue till our aspirations are achieved.

We have nothing to do with the communal dominant Govt.of Manipur as we have severed our political ties with it and for which reason we have embarked upon securing an alternative arrangement," the UNC asserted.