UNC calls 48 hr bandh in Naga areas
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, April 23 2015 :
As a part of its series of agitation, the United Naga Council (UNC) has called a 48 hour total bandh beginning from midnight of April 27 in all 'Naga areas' of Manipur to draw the attention of the Government of India and seek its intervention in the demand for Alternative Arrangement outside the Government of Manipur pending Indo-Naga political settlement.
According to a statement issued by the UNC, it is during Chief Minister O Ibobi's 13 years of "communal" Congress Government in Manipur that many civilians including two innocents students, late Chakho and Loshou of Mao tribe were shot dead by his "communal" State forces on May 6, 2010 at Mao Gate and late Mayopam Ramror and Ramkasing Vashi of Tangkhul tribe in Ukhrul district on August 30, 2014 respectively.
Hundreds were seriously injured and maimed.
Arrest warrant was also issued against former presidents of UNC and All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and award tags fixed for information that may lead to their arrest.
Furthermore, the attempt to declare UNC�defending its inherent political rights� as an unlawful organization in the recent past is nothing but a bid to derail and sabotage the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks by the State and non-State actors.
The Naga people in its 3rd Naga People's Convention (NPC) held on July 1, 2010 at Tahamzam (Senapati) had declared the Autonomous District Council (ADC) election of 2010 "null and void" but in the name of democracy, the 'communal and oppressive Manipur Government' is going to reimpose the already rejected ADC election under Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council 3rd Amendment Act, 2008 just to usurp and strangulate peoples' political aspiration.
It also accused the Govt of Manipur of constructing and attempting to construct Mapithel and proposed Tipaimukh and Chakpi River Multipurpose Dams and other mega projects in Naga areas without peoples' consent and in violation of National and International laws/norms.
The UNC further accused the State Govt of attempting to grasp and merge tribal lands of Chandel, Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts in the valley districts and making persistent efforts to barter land measuring 1.40 sq kms of Choro Tangkhul village with Myanmar just to retain Moreh.
"Dr Manmahon Singh, the then Prime Minister of India had rightly pointed out that there is a sharp social divide between the Meiteis and the Nagas in Manipur at the 45th DGP conference in New Delhi on August 26, 2010 but due to lack of political will, the situation has become compounded and aggravated day by day," the UNC said.
Medical, water supply, electricity, educational institutions and media fraternity will be exempted from the purview of the bandh, it added.
The UNC therefore appealed to all the people to extend their fullest support and cooperation and also to stand firmly and unitedly "against their oppressors and adversaries" till they achieve the non-negotiable political rights.
Anyone violating the peaceful and democratic movement will be doing at their own risk, it cautioned.
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