Ibobi goes to Delhi to collect copy of Naga Peace Accord
Source: Hueiyen News Service / MIC

New Delhi, August 07 2015 : "I was quite surprised when I came to know the peace accord between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) was signed on August 3 without informing us", said Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi.

Talking to reporters on Friday in New Delhi, Ibobi informed that he had asked the Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh to send a copy of the agreement.

Rajnath had apparently assured that he would present the accord in the parliament.

Till date, it was not presented in the parliament, the Chief Minister added.

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, during their recent visit in Manipur said that the peace accord was a simple framework, he recalled.

"Manipur is concerned with the sensitive issue.

My people will ask me why the State Government did not know anything about the Naga accord.

So, I came here to collect the full text of the accord from the Centre", he said.

Ibobi also refuted the claims of Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that Northeast Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal refused to come for a meeting called by the Prime Minister on Naga Issue.

He said this was completely false and misleading.

Ibobi also produced two letters dated July 7, 2015 and July 10, 2015 sent from NITI Aayog and placed them before the media.

He said that the first one was for the meeting held on July 15 at 11 am for a discussion of Land Acquisition Act which the Congress ruled States had boycotted and the second one was for the meeting at 7 pm on the same day relating to the development of the Northeastern Region.

If the agenda was on Naga Accord, he would have definitely attended the meeting, he remarked.

Ibobi also said, "Nagas are our brothers and sisters living together in harmony for many years on Manipur soil.

We want a lasting solution for the NSCN (IM).

If they demand the Naga areas from Manipur, 90 percent of the land will go, which we cannot compromise" .

He further stated, "While RS Pandey was the interlocutor of NSCN (IM) Peace talk, he always consulted the Government of Manipur on every step.

When RN Ravi had been appointed as interlocutor, he never approached the State government for the issue" .

Ibobi took a firm stand that not a single inch of land will be given from Manipur's territory.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi has stated he was surprised by the Naga Accord showing the Interlocutor as representative of the Government of India.

He asked for the validity of the agreement and raised the question why it had been kept secret till today.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Nabam Tuki said that if the peace accord damaged the co-existence of the people of the Northeastern region, it would be meaningless.

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