UNC vows to carry on fight to protect land of Nagas
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 19 2017: The United Naga Council (UNC) has categorically stated that they would never compromise on their ancestral land and identity.

Under the aegis of the Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF), Requital Day was observed today at Noney (Longmai) market in memory of the Zeliangrong victims of 'Kuki atrocities' .

Speaking at the gathering, UNC president Gaidon Kamei said that land and identity are central to the lives of Naga people and that is why they have been waging different movement at the cost of many lives for several decades .

"We don't clamour for other community's land nor do we ever try to occupy anybody's land.

Yet, Nagas have the guts to live together with other communities", Gaidon said .

But no one should challenge the Naga people's aspirations, territory and identity, he said .

UNC vows to carry on fight to protect land of Nagas

Since the British colonial period, Nagas have been waging different resistance movements and it is continuing even after Nagas have been brought within independent India.

These movements will go on .

The UNC president exuded confidence that the dialogue process going on between India and the collective leadership of NSCN-IM would bring positive developments .

However, even as a final agreement is yet to be sealed, one community or another, based on fabricated history, has been working to jeopardise the dialogue process .

Creation of seven new districts by the previous Congress Government was one such impedance .

A long lasting, amicable solution to the Naga issue would emerge soon, he said while calling upon all the Naga people to stand united and firm .

Today's gathering is not about remembrance alone nor is it imbued with any shade of vengeance .

The function is aimed at awakening the Naga people to the fact they are being surrounded and overwhelmed by outsiders, Gaidon Kamei said .

ZYF president Titus Kamei said that Kuki militants halted a passenger bus heading toward Noney from Imphal between Kotlen and K Senam on October 19, 1994.The militants killed 38 Zeliangrong civilians apart from injuring many others by pushing the bus down a gorge .

Altogether 123 Zeliangrong people were killed by Kukis between 1991 and 1995 while 201 were injured.

Moreover, 940 houses were burnt down and 5100 people were displaced internally .

ZYF is organising the gathering in memory of all the victims by taking the date on which the passenger bus was pushed down a gorge, Titus Kamei said .

The function does not imply that Nagas are seeking revenge.

Basically, the function is organised with a message for peace and reconciliation, he added .

Naga Hoho vice president Samson Riamei, Naga Women Union Manipur chairperson Asha Wungam, Zeliangrong Baudi Manipur president Poupoklung Kamei and representatives of NPO, TNL and ANSAM were also present at the gathering .

A booklet containing names and details of all the Zeliangrong people killed during 1991-1995 was also presented at the gathering.