Tripartite talk put off, UNC sticks to its gun
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Senapati, July 28 2019:
The tripartite talks on district creation issue slated for July 29 at Senapati district headquarters has been postponed.
No date has been fixed as yet.
According to information given to the office of the United Naga Council (UNC) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the date, time and venue of the next meeting will be informed by the MHA "in due course" .
This information was given to the UNC office by RK Pandey, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India.
On learning about the postponement of the tripartite talk of July 29, the UNC leaders told Newmai News Network this evening that the "position of the Naga people on land, identity, history and rights is loud and clear" .
The UNC leaders further said that the Naga people will not compromise "our political stand and our previous decisions and resolutions" .
They added that the Naga people are the "only authority" to decide on land, identity, rights and history and our future.
"We will not allow anyone to decide for us", the UNC leaders further asserted.
The UNC leaders then said that, after a series of consultation with the Naga people they have decided to continue to hold talk with the Government on the issue.
"However, we will not allow the talk to go on this way", they said.
The UNC had carried out a series of consultation with Naga organisations in connection with the district creation issue last month.
In the last round of talk held on March 9, 2019, the State Government had proposed for the next round of talk to be held in the end of July.
However, the UNC did not agree to this proposal saying that it "will go back to the people in this regard".
The UNC had also told the Government of Manipur in the last round of talk that after consultation with the Naga people, it would communicate its decision to the Government of India.
Thus, the UNC communicated to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to continue the talk, according to the UNC leaders.
Another reason for this long hiatus with regard to the 'tripartite talk' has been due to the last Lok Sabha polls.
It is worth noting here that, the previous Government of Manipur had created seven new districts on December 8, 2016 .
In protest against that act of the Manipur Government, the UNC had imposed 139 days of economic blockade along the National highways which pass through Manipur.
After the lifting of the blockade, the first round of talk was held on March 19, 2017 followed by several rounds of talk.
The talk is still continuing on the issue.
The UNC has been demanding that the December 8, 2016 decision of the Manipur Government should be "rolled back" .
It is also worth mentioning here that, the tripartite talks have been moderated by the Ministry of Home Affairs right from the beginning.
It can also be noted here that, on July 25, 2019, the 'Council Assembly' of the UNC had discussed with "all seriousness" and reiterated its previous decision to roll back the 7 districts created by the Manipur Government on December 8, 2016 .
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