Source: The Imphal Free Press
Guwahati, November 03 (IANS):
An influential tribal Naga group in India's northeast Saturday urged the federal government to slice parts of Manipur and merge them into Nagaland for preserving its distinct culture and tradition.
"We want that all Naga inhabited areas in Manipur be merged with Nagaland immediately as this is our aspiration to live together as one people under political roof," said Paul Leo, president of the United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of some 500,000 tribal Nagas in Manipur.
"Pending a final political settlement, the Indian government should make an interim arrangement to merge the Naga dominated areas in Manipur to Nagaland without delay," Leo told IANS, The UNC has submitted a memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee citing historical reasons for merging parts of Manipur's territory into adjoining Nagaland.
The UNC wants the four hill districts of Manipur � Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong, and Ukhrul - to be merged with Nagaland, besides 26 villages in the district of Churachandpur inhabited by the Zeliangrong tribe.
The Nagas claim that the majority Metei community in Manipur has "concocted history" to oppose the demand for unification of Naga dominated areas into Nagaland state.
"Our identity and history has to be defended at all cost and the Nagas in Manipur firmly resolve to uphold the aspirations for integration of all the Nagas under one administration," said, Kho John, president of the All Naga Students' Association of Manipur.
The demand for slicing parts of Manipur's territory has always sparked off angry reaction from the majority Mciei's pledging to resist all such moves.
"At no cost shall be we allow Manipur's territorial integrity to be disturbed.