MHA-UNC teams start joint exercise on AA
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Dimapur, February 28 2014 : Amidst uproar from certain quarters against the imminent creation of 'Alternative Arrangement' for Nagas in Manipur outside the Manipur Government, the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have started the 'joint exercise' which is a requisite criteria.

After the meeting between the UNC leaders and the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi this afternoon, two names from the UNC executive have been submitted to MHA to be included in the 'High Power Committee' (HPC) as request-ed by the Government of India.

Coming out after several hours of meeting, the UNC leaders confided to Newmai News Network that the 'Alternative Arrangement' will be based on the postulates submitted to the Government of India earlier such as the 'administrative power', 'the legis- lative power' and the 'financial power,' outside the Ma- nipur Government.

Terming it as 'High Power Committee' (HPC) and not as 'High Level Committee' (HLC) the UNC leaders said the HPC will be constituted in the next five days' time.

"Yes, we are happy that things are sailing well of late, towards the creation of the Alternative Arrangement for the Nagas of Manipur outside the Manipur Government," stated the UNC leaders, adding, "This afternoon's mee- ting between the UNC and MHA was as part of the 'joint exercise' which is a required criteria".

The UNC leaders then said that the 'Alternative Arrangement' is a "political issue" .

Interestingly, the UNC lea-ders had returned to Manipur from Delhi on February 21 after meeting the MHA officials on the 'AA' issue.

The Naga leaders had held series of meetings last week with the MHA officials in the national capital following which the Government of India decided to set up a 'high power committee' (HPC) .

After holding three days at Senapati to consult Naga tribe leaders, the UNC leaders rus-hed back to New Delhi Tues- day for the 'joint exercise' with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

It is worth recalling here that on February 6, for the first time, the talks on the 'Alternative Arrangement' for the Nagas of Manipur was held at a 'political level' in Senapati district headquarter involving the Government of India, the Government of Manipur ( represented by Manipur cabinet ministers) and the United Naga Council (UNC) .

That day's development was significant because the previous six rounds were mere meetings of UNC leaders with the bureaucrats for which reason the Naga body had fumed.

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