Imphal, December 24: Apprehensive about repercussions of forthcoming peace talks between the Centre and rebel Naga leaders on Manipur, an amalgam of social bodies from the State today met President APJ Abdul Kalam and demanded protection of its territorial integrity and greater autonomy.

Accusing the Centre of keeping the people of Manipur in the "dark" about the peace talks, United Committee of Manipur (UCM) also warned Centre against compromising with the State's integrity to create a greater Nagaland.

"We are anxious about the peace deal that Centre is going to strike with NSCN-IM in which the issue of merging some parts of Manipur with Nagaland will also be discussed," UCM spokesperson Rajkumar Ranendrajit told reporters here.

Lashing out at the NSCN for creating an "artificial divide" between different ethnic communities of Manipur, Rajkumar said the Naga leaders' claims of various parts of Manipur being inhabited by Naga .communities were "completely false".

Asserting all the ethnic communities in Manipur were part of its civilization and "we will not give up our land on the demands of a handful of people," Rajkumar said, "we want the Centre to honour the commitment it gave during the signing of integration pact.

Autonomy is vital for ushering in new political culture for the State's development." "For years we have been treated like second-class citizens in the name of counter-insurgency and if Government does not listen to people's demands there will be a crisis in the State," he said.

Our Staff Reporter adds: UCM has demanded Greater Autonomy in recognition of the unique historical position of Manipur as well as in respect of the democratic aspirations of its people.

A five-member delegation of UCM has submitted a memorandum in this,regard to the President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam this afternoon, a spokesman informed during a press conference held at its Wangkhei Headquarters office.

The copies of the memorandum reportedly submitted to the President were also presented to the reporters.

The UCM spokesman informed that the content of the 62-paged memorandum is in fact the draft policy made as an academic response to the threat on Manipur's Territorial Integrity, Emotional Integrity, Economic Integrity and Development worked out by a team of senior citizens, intellectuals and various subject experts after exhaustive deliberations on the issues in three major seminars held on November 16, 22 and 30 and supplemented by a number of Special Working Group sittings under the initiative of the Committee.

Describing in detailed the historical place of Manipur amongst the Indian States as a sovereign Asiatic power before the advent of British and having played an international role for more than a thousand year, the memorandum asserted that it is now obligatory that the Government of India restore the historical and democratic rights to the people of Manipur by granting greater autonomy (as per Schedule-A of India Constitution), guarantee the territorial integrity and provide sufficient means for faster economic development of the State of Manipur (as per Schedule-B).