Raise grievances on mischievous planks :: AA - Still vague after 5 rounds of talks
- Sangai Express Editorial :: August 31, 2013 -

Based on historical facts, ground realities and political aspirations of the Nagas.

It is within these realms which leaders of the United Naga Council must have sat down for the 6th round of talk involving the Government of India, Government of Manipur and of course the UNC, which is the apex organisation of the Nagas in Manipur at New Delhi on August 30.

Alternative Arrangement for the Nagas outside the Government of Manipur, pending a solution to the ongoing dialogue between the IM faction of the NSCN and Delhi, is the demand raised as per the decision adopted during the Naga People's Convention held on July 1, 2010 at Senapati district headquarters.

What exactly is Alternative Arrangement is still vague, not at all very clear, but it may not be altogether wrong in stating that this term or demand stands on the foundation of the "Communal Government of Manipur."

An accusation or allegation which the UNC has raised whenever it deems it fit. A cleverly albeit mischievous term coined, no doubt, to serve as the rallying point for the Naga people.

After all history stands testimony to the fact that for any movement or demand to strike home and stir the people, there has to be a target and what better target than to portray a dispensation as communal or anti-Naga in this case.

Riding on the concept of Us Vs Them. The UNC has been very clear on what it wants and it is the hedging and 'ducking the issue' policy pursued by both Imphal and Delhi that is confounding.

Even after 5 rounds of talks have been held, Imphal or Delhi do not seem to know what the Alternative Arrangement is all about. Or is it a case of keeping the matter under wraps, lest it kicks off a chain reaction that may not be healthy for the State and people as a whole ?

Historical facts is another term which the UNC has been bandying about to justify or legitimise their demand for an Alternative Arrangement for the Nagas.

But can there be a history only for the Nagas, without touching on the history of the other communities, notably the Meiteis and the Kukis ? Maybe the UNC may answer this question but remember there may be other civil society organisations which may be better placed to answer this.

Vague as it is, the Alternative Arrangement model being touted by the UNC may be seen as a demand for greater autonomy, an arrangement which may well be put in place under a provision of the Constitution of India.

The important point however is, not all the provisions of the Constitution may be equally applicable to all parts of the country.

A provision which may suit a State like Gujarat or Maharastra may not exactly suit a place like Manipur or Nagaland.

How far this aspect, a reality, will be explored and studied during the course of the tripartite talks remains to be seen but it is an important point which cannot be overlooked at any cost.

Autonomy or greater autonomy within a State may and can work when the area to be given the autonomy status may constitute just a fraction of the total geographical area of the place.

This is where the fault line with the Alternative Arrangement demand may be detected.

With the hill areas or the areas claimed by the UNC as the ancestral lands of the Nagas, constituting over 80 percent of the total geographical area of Manipur, giving in to the demand for autonomy would render the understanding of Manipur as a geo-political entity redundant and meaningless.

A State where its writ or governance covers only 20 percent of the total land area would amount to twisting and manipulating the understanding of a State of the Union of India.

The UNC or the Nagas in general may have genuine grievances, but playing the communal card to air that grievances would be dangerous and mischievous.

It should not be forgotten that grievances against the Government cannot be unique to the Nagas or the UNC alone.

The people of Manipur as a whole have grievances galore against the State Government and it has much more to do with the absence of governance and corruption than with anything else. This is the bottomline.