Clear As Crystal: Not just a question of ADC
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 09, 2010 -

The Naga agitating bodies such as the United Naga Council (UNC), the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and other follower organisations have once again snubbed the team of three Ministers of Manipur, which also included an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India by refusing to meet them at Senapati District Head Quarter on August 7.

The team comprising Minister of Tribal Development and District Councils, DD Thaisii, Minister of IFCD and Youth Affairs & Sports, N Biren and Minister of Information & Public Relations and Tourism, TN Haokip, Joint Secretary (NE-in-charge), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Navin Verma and Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, DS Poonia went to Senapati district HQ to meet the representatives of the UNC to discuss their demands.

The UNC had earlier announced that it would not meet the ministerial team of what it called the "communal Government of Manipur dominated by Meiteis." The Naga organisations had taken a resolution to sever political ties with the state government.

The government had convened a Round Table meeting of representatives of the major hill-based organisations, Cabinet Ministers of the state, officials of MHA, Government of India, academicians, etc under the chairmanship of Chief Minister O Ibobi on August 3. None of the hill-based organisations took part in that meeting too.

As this column had pointed out a few days back, the reasons for the absence of the representatives of the tribal bodies are different. While the reasons of the Kuki bodies are relatively harmless, the ones of the Naga bodies are really worrisome and dangerous.

The state government is fully aware of it, but still, as the guardian of the people of the state, the Cabinet decided to send a team of Ministers along with officials of MHA and State Home Department to Senapati district HQ to meet the leaders of the UNC and other Naga bodies instead of inviting them to come to Imphal.

But the Naga bodies gave the team a cold treatment by not responding to the government's meeting offer, and instead was greeted with a lightning Senapati bazar bandh with all shops and business establishments remaining closed. Road was blocked by burning tyres. Slogan was scribbled on the toll gate at Senapati saying "Welcome to Nagalim."

Now the Naga bodies are saying that they will not talk to the Government of Manipur, they had severed political ties with it and will talk only with the Government of India.

They allege that there's a vacuum in administration in what they call Naga areas, and are demanding from the Government of India an "alternative arrangement." These moves of the UNC, ANSAM and other Naga bodies are not just an expression of protest by a community of the state against the elections to Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) but a part of the open agenda of the NSCN-IM.

Their intentions are as clear as crystal that they would create a battalion of problems out of any opportunity that would give the state government a perpetual migraine and make the people's lives miserable to the maximum so that a time will come when the people could not remain tolerant any longer and have to retaliate in some ways.

Economic blockade on NH 39 and 53 for long period is one of the most convenient weapons toward this end. But as the Joint Secretary, MHA, Navin Verma had told the media persons at the DC's office at Senapati district HQ that the demands of the UNC are for the state government to consider, hinting that the Centre would not interfere in the internal affairs of the state.

On the demand for removing the 'Wanted' tag and rewards from the presidents of UNC and ANSAM, the MHA official advised that the two organisations should approach the High Court and take legal help.

From the cold and contemptuous response of the Naga bodies, what with the economic blockade and all, the Centre would have realised the hidden agenda of the bodies, and that the issue of ADC was just an excuse.

The Centre, the two Houses of the parliament, all the MPs, the entire country and the would now know very well who are oppressing whom in Manipur.