Tension grips Manipur-Nagaland border
Govt urged to bring home stranded Mao people
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 17 2022:
As tensions flare up at Manipur-Nagaland border following SAPO's ban on entry of Mao people in 'Angami area', the Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minis-ter N Biren Singh urging his Government to make arrangements for bringing home Mao people stranded in Nagaland and other North East States.
The Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee, an apex body of several organisations including IPSA, ACOAM Lup and Mao Union said the Manipur Government should release and make public all legal documents on Dzuko and Kozirii territories to reject false claims made by the South Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) .
Notably, the statement of the Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee came after a vehicle belonging to a person from Senapati was reportedly torched at Viswema last night.
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It may be mentioned that the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) and the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) had notified that the Mao people should leave its 'jurisdiction' and they had also imposed a ban on entry of Mao people in the 'Angami area' from December 15 .
The organisations had also said that they would start checking and scrutinising Mao people in areas 'under their jurisdiction' from December 15 .
In the memorandum it submitted to the Chief Minister today, the Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee said the State Govern- ment should take up necessary action against SAPO and SAYO through the Nagaland State Government and Union Home Ministry to immediately withdraw their communal act towards the Mao people.
Stating it is very much concerned with the communal act committed by the SAPO and SAYO towards the Mao people, the coordinating committee recalled that the Mao-Imphal Market in Imphal emerged out of a tense situation created by the same Angami groups due to their false claim of territories at Dzuko and Kozirii in 2015 .
Under the pretext of the same issue, the Southern Angami Public Organisation imposed restriction on movement of Mao people in 'Angami areas' and issued a quit notice to the Mao people to leave their 'area of jurisdiction' from December 15 .
As a result of this, when Christmas is nearing, Mao people are unable to travel to the nearest market in Kohima to do business and shopping.
Many of the Mao people in Nagaland and other North East States are also unable to return home for Christmas due to the restriction imposed by the SAPO and SAYO, said the Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee appealing to the Government to make arrangement for safely bringing back stranded Mao people who wish to return home for Christmas before December 22 .
It also appealed to the Government to arrange helicopter service from Dimapur to Mao till Christmas.
Further, as roads are being blocked by the Southern Angamis, the coordinating committee said the Government should open a temporary season market for Christmas shopping at affordable cost at Mao to ease the inconveniences being faced by the Mao people.
The Government should also enhance Mao-Imphal Market store and lodging spaces to accomodate more Mao business entrepreneurs who cannot work in Nagaland anymore during the Christmas season.
A dormitory and a secure store room should also be constructed at the available space of the market.
The tin-walled store room was breached and goods were stolen last night, said the coordinating committee.
On the border/land dispute issue, the Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee said the Government should release all necessary legal documents and records on Dzuko and Kozirii territories of Manipur State publicly to reject false claims made by SAPO before the general public, specially Angami people and Nagas in general.
The State Government should also initiate development projects with proper infrastructure and security arrangement at Dzuko and Kozirii to improve tourist activities and resist the Angami encroachment permanently, said the coordinating committee.
Meanwhile, the Naga Women's Union (NWU), Senapati has appealed to the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) and the Mao Council to maintain calm and reconsider any decisions that would fuel further tension.
"Banning our own brothers from entering our homes would only give room for more hatred and wounds," it said.
It appealed to the Board of Arbitrators (BOA) and Tenyimi People's Organisation (TPO) to take the matter seriously and prevent further flare up.
The Mao-Imphal Market Coordinating Committee comprises IPSA, ACOAM Lup, PANDM, IPAK, Kanglamei, KIL, CLK, KSA and Mao Union, Imphal.