96-hour UNC bandh to begin
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 18, 2012: The United Naga Council (UNC) said its proposed 96-hour bandh will go ahead as planned from the midnight of August 20. However, the UNC said a safe passage will be allowed to outstationed students and other natives who are homeward bound on "mass exodus" due to violence and threats thereof on North Easterners in some parts of the country.

"While the collective human problem of the North East region will receive adequate accommodation, the general public are once again requested to extend their cooperation and solidarity towards our legitimate and registered political issues, which is being deliberately ignored by the Government," the United Naga Council stated.

The UNC said the bandh has been called to protest against the utter lack of respect for the democratic process of dialogue and insincerity on the part of the Government of India and the Government of Manipur in taking forward the tripartite talk on the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur pending settlement of the indo-Naga issue.

The total bandh will include educational institutions and construction work on the Trans Asian Railway Line.

Medical department and fire brigade however will be exempted from the purview of the bandh, it added.

On August 13, the United Naga Council had stated that on receiving assurance of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (GoI) that the matter of demand for an alternative arrangement is under the active consideration of the government of India, the 96 hours total bandh slated to be observed in Naga areas in Manipur from the midnight of July 23, 2012 had been deferred with the expectation that arrangement for the next round of tripartite talk on the alternative arrangement demand would be initiated by August 10. "However, the assurance of the government of India has not been translated into actions till date and the faith and confidence of the Nagas in Manipur in the democratic process of dialogue has been betrayed.

The eruption of sustained agitation in the wake of the violent suppression of the people movement that took place in May, 2010 had been suspended when the then Hon'ble Home Minister of the GoI had initiated the process of tripartite talk of the government of India, government of Manipur and the United Naga Council on the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas outside communal Government of Manipur pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue.

Was the tripartite process just a mere diversion to diffuse the situation and that our issues will not be considered by its merit?," the UNC had asked.

The same condition of repression, suppression and subjugation exist and continues in more severe and subtle degrees.

But the suspension of agitation of the people on account of the democratic process of dialogue and negotiation is now being projected as if the issues have been resolved or not relevant any more.

The Government of India cannot abdicate itself from this unethical undermining of democracy and unilateral scuttling of the dialogue process, it added.

"Therefore, as per the standing decision, a 96 hours total bandh will be enforced from the midnight of the 20th August, 2012, which will be followed up with other protest activities to protest against the lack of sincerity and political will on the part of the government of India," stated the UNC.

All constituent Naga tribe organisations, frontal organisations, regional organisations, tribe women and student organisations are directed to stringently and effectively enforce the total bandh in their respective jurisdictions.

"We solicit the cooperation and goodwill of the general public towards making it peaceful and violence free.

Violation of the bandh would be considered as an insult to the Naga people and to the issues that we are fighting for and anybody violating the bandh would be doing so at their own risk," the Naga body had added.

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