Tamenglong stages massive rally against Govt Bills; memo forwarded to PM
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei

Tamenglong, September 18 2015 : Frontal organizations of Tamenglong District on Thursday organized a mass rally under the banner of United Naga Council (UNC) asking the Government of India to bring the Naga Peace accord to logical conclusion based on uniqueness of Naga history and to condemn the Manipur Legislative Assembly for passing "anti Naga/tribal Bills" .

A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the nine "martyrs" who were killed in Churachandpur district.

The protesters held placards, banners and shouted slogans and later forwarded a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India.

Before the rally kicked off, UNC President Gaidon Kamei, ANSAM General Secretary Alexandra, Naga Women Union President LM Tabitha and UNC Vice President TS Warnga addressed the gathering.

Naga Hoho Vice President Samson Remei also shared solidarity message.

Tamenglong stages massive rally against Govt Bills

The mass rally began at 10 am from Mini Stadium, Tamenglong Headquarters and ended at Haipou Jadonang Park.

Gaidon Kamei in his speech said, "Many organizations are being sponsored by the State and adversaries are surfacing in numbers just to dilute our movement as their sole political objectives" .

Gaidon urged all Naga political groups to come together by forgetting differences in the past for the interest of the Nagas.

He alleged that Chief Minister O Ibobi uses State security forces to kill the tribals and to suppress their rights, but Naga people use democratic and peaceful means as its weapon.

"A time has come that only people's power through unity and togetherness will recue us from strangulation" .

Alexandra Huton appealed all to support the Indo-Naga Historic Peace Accord stating if Naga people miss the opportunity, their future will be doubtful.

Samson Remei expressed solidarity with the Nagas in particular and the tribals in general and condemned the merciless killing of nine innocent civilians at Churachandpur on August 31 and September 1 by the State security forces while they were defending tribal rights.

He said that Naga Hoho will always work together with UNC while defending and safeguarding the political rights and aspiration of the Nagas.

"We belong to a worldview that defines land as collectively owned by the people and not the State.

Land is central to our life and identity.

We are against the State Government's attempt to alienate us from our land," said LM Tabitha.

TS Warngam said that the Nagas have faced and many ups and downs throughout the movement due to confusion and disunity created from within and outside to weaken the Nagas.

In the memo forwarded to the PM, the UNC and others urged him to translate and expedite the Framework Agreement based on the unique history of the Nagas.

"Without solution it is impossible for the Naga tribals to protect, defend and safeguard our life, land, history, identity, tradition, culture and time honoured institution under the present oppressive political system of the communal Government of Manipur," the memo said.

The memo signed by several leaders of Naga organizations UNC, Naga Women Union, ANSAM, CFAA, Zeliangrong Baudi Manipur, Zeliangrong Youth Front (AMN) and Zeliangrong Student's Union (ZSUM) .

During the rally all shops and markets were closed and there was no vehicle movement in the district headquarters.

The Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth Front, Zeliangrong Student's Union, Zeliangrong Pui Baudi in a press statement on behalf of the organizing committee on public protest rally Tamenglong expressed sincere gratitude to all the general public for their participation in the rally.