UCM, MPP making clear their stand :: Saying no to autonomy
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 01 2018 -
One a political party and the other a civil society organisation with immense influence but both speaking the same language.
The MPP and the UCM do not need any introduction and it is interesting but not surprising to see that the two have outrightly rejected any model of autonomy when the final pact between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India is inked.
Tough to say how the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India will take note of the stand of the two entities, but one may surmise that this is likely to be the stand of other civil society organisations and political parties in Manipur, particularly which have its base and influence in the valley of Manipur.
It will be interesting to see how the Congress, the largest and perhaps the only Opposition party in the State, put their views and interpretations of the situation but it will be for the sake of Manipur as a political entity.
On the other hand, what the UCM has said is, it is against any design that may bypass the State Government with regard to any territory in the State, which may be mapped according to ethnicity.
Hence the caption of the lead story in The Sangai Express in the April 30 edition read as, “UCM says no to ethnic boundary.”
It however stands that something has to be given to the NSCN (IM) and the crucial point is what will be acceptable to all the people ?
Twenty years of the gun going silent and political negotiations at the level of the Prime Minister and a solution will obviously mean giving something to the NSCN (IM).
Not an easy task it will be and the question at the moment is whether the Governments of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have been taken into confidence or not.
Or is it a case of the time being a little too early to take them on board ?
As things stand today, territorial integrity may be maintained and in its place something else will be given.
The report in the Indian Express put this as autonomy for the areas which are dominated by the Nagas but as the stand of the UCM and the MPP has shown, they are against any model that will bypass the State Government.
Territory intact, but a degree of autonomy to some areas which are dominated by the Nagas and it is against such an agreement that the Congress had earlier launched a series of public meetings all over the place.
Things will certainly be interesting once the Congress again jumps into the fray and mobilise the people against such a design.
Tough to say how things will unfold, but as things stand right now, this is the likely scenario.
On the other hand, so far the Naga civil society organisations in Manipur have not yet opened their mouth.
Maybe they are waiting for an opportune moment to speak out their mind, and as the past has indicated, Manipur can certainly expect to see some interesting developments in the coming days.
The worrying point is the potential to pitch one set of people against the other and it is this possibility which everyone should be on guard against.
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