Nagas to skip Lui-Ngai-Ni
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 14 2012:
Unlike the previous years, Nagas of strifetorn Manipur will not congregate together to celebrate the state level Lui-Ngai-Ni, their biggest festival on Wednesday owing to what they termed as they are in the midst of steep political unrest.
The seed sowing festival will, however, be celebrated in low key at the Naga areas across the state.
The United Naga Council (UNC), which is demanding an alternative administrative arrangement for the Nagas without linking the state government, said the political instablity on various issues besetting the community forced to stay away from organizing the state level Lui-Ngai-Ni.
"To protest against Prime Minister's speech at Imphal that the centre was committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur, we are still enforcing the ban on all construction activities of Jiribam-Tupul rail line in Manipur and the exploration tasks for natural resources in Tamenglong ," said S Milan, UNC's information and publicity secretary.
While addressing a huge public rally at the historic Kangla fort at the state capital on December 3 last year the PM, in the presence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, said the centre was committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur.
The apex Naga civil body, which announced of severing political ties with the state government, imposed a whooping 100-day-long economic blockade on Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar routes last year to protest against the state government's alleged attempt to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas to create new districts.
Another Naga civil leader said the Nagas' growing demand to release without any condition NSCN (IM)'s head of foreign affairs' Ningkhan Anthony Shimray from Tihar jail is also one of the reasons to set aside the state level Lui-Ngai-Ni festival.