Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 20:
Union Minister of State for Food Processing Th Chaoba Singh today called on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and apprised him of the situation arising out of the extension of the area of the ceasefire between the Centre and the NSCN (IM) in Manipur.
Chaoba who also submitted a memorandum to Vajpayee urged him to reconsider the decision for extending the truce area saying the ground situation in Manipur is extremely volatile, according to a statement faxed here today.
He told the Prime Minister who assured that �some acceptable solution will be brought about very soon�, that the people of the State have the nagging fear that extension of the truce area will resultin the formation of Greater Nagaland which had been the demand of the Naga insurgent group, it said.
Reminding that all the political parties in the State had resolved not to disintegrate the State boundary, the Union Minister said that the June 18 agitation shows that there is the possibility of the entire public coming to the streets against the Centre's move.
There are strong possibilities of a civil disobedience movement which will eventually lead to civil war and ethnic strife if the Centre's decision is not reviewed urgently, Chaoba said in his memorandum adding that the extension will be beneficial only when there is a large scale violence.
Neither other States nor the Centre had demanded the extension of the truce area.
Only the NSCN had demanded it, he further pointed out.
Chaoba also put forth to the Prime Minister that the NSCN has been demanding a sovereign country since the time of Pandit Nehru.
The recent statement of Th Muivah that Naga territory consists of 1,20,000 sq kms of land has led the people believe that there is a tacit understanding between the NSCN and the Centre, it added.
Chaoba said that Vajpayee's emissary K Padmanabhaiah took the decision of the extension in haste without taking the people and the State Government into confidence.
The people also felt that they were let down as the decision for the extension was taken when the State is placed under President's Rule.
Stating that the issue requires deft and wise handling before it becomes too late, the Lok Sabha MP pressed the Prime Minister not to give any room or chance to the outside subversive elements in the interest of the country.