NSCN – GOI Accord, an accord for peace or pain?
- Part 2 -

S Nongpoknganba Meitei *

Commemoration at TNL Ground, Ukhrul for Peace Accord- NSCN (IM) and GoI on August 10 2015 :: Pix - Sunzu Bachaspatimayum

Again in another press release of the NSCN under the signature of Th. Muivah himself on 3rd August, he has said, "The attitude of the Nagas towards India changed considerably when the BJP government took realistic step in recognising the "Unique History and situation of the Nagas" on July 11, 2002. It demonstrated the desire for a lasting and honourable political solution of the issue. Better understanding has been arrived at and a framework agreement has been concluded basing on the unique history and position of the Nagas and recognising the universal principle that in a democracy sovereignty lies with the people."

These statements are to my pessimistic assessment disturbing in so far it sounds like the pronouncement of redrawing the boundary map of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Preadesh. Nevertheless it solacing that one of the officials who had witnessed the signing of the accord has reportedly said that the signing of the accord is initial and preliminary in nature and the creation of Nagalimhad been set aside for now. Further Union Home Minister Rajnath has told Ibobi that the central government has made it clear to NSCN IM that their main demand of integration of Naga inhabited areas would not be met but more powers would be given to local bodies like autonomous district councils.

What is most striking about the NSCN (IM) is that some international legal and constitutional experts, viz., Michael Von ValtPraag, a professor of international law at the Golden Gate University in San Francisco; YashGhai, an Indian-origin Kenyan academic of Constitutional Law; and Anthony Reagan, Professor of Law at the Australian National University, to name a few, have been helping NSCN (IM) to work out the details of the relationship between the Nagas and the Centre and they are scheduled to be in Delhi latter this month. And obviously the NSCN with the help of these experts will be able to extract maximum leverage while negotiating the final shape of the agreement.

While analyzing the accompanying political situation, a prominent journalist Bharat Bhusan, the founding editor of Mail Today has written in Catchnews.com that "the major political arrangement that is likely to emerge out of the agreement is the formation of a Pan-Naga Council. This non-state body is likely to be elected by all Nagas residing in the contiguous areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Its powers would be the subject of the negotiations carried out within the parameters of the framework agreement. It is expected that Nagas in each State would get an elected autonomous council, which would look after their economic and other developmental affairs." How far such an analysis leading to such a terrible conclusion will be correct may be still put under question mark but given the situation as discoursed above, it is very likely that such a non-state Pan Naga council may be established in the name of cultural integrity apart from giving more autonomy by way of, possibly extension of sixth schedule or extension of Artcle 371 A of the Constitution of India to the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, etc. and accordingly amend the said Article or the sixth schedule to suit the demand of the NSCN and local situation.

In other words, it is acceptance of the demand of alternative arrangement albeit in a different format and this is the beginning of the end of Manipur's territorial integrity. It may be remembered that the formation of the state of Meghalaya and the formation of Mizoram by carving out from the state of Assam were via Sixth Schedule.

Now the question is whether such an arrangement is acceptable to Manipur and if not, what can we do in the face of the strong resolve of the Government of India and NSCN (IM) to push such an arrangement through and the hapless position of the present Manipur Government.

Accidentally or by design, the accord has been signed at such a time when Manipur is reeling under the strong agitation for ILP which aimed at protecting the indigenous people of Manipur, viz, Meitei, Naga and Kuki et.al. and the flood that has devastated lives of so manypeople requiring the Central Government relief people to come down to Manipur . And to this extent the accord has been favoured too by timing. In this predicament what we shall do or can do is the churning issue.

An answer to this situation is what W. Minthing, ex-minister of Manipur has said in his speech during the public discussion on the Accord organized by International Meitei Forum at Press Club, Imphal on 18th August. He has said, we have to live together, there should not be any division and while saying so he has underlined the notion that Meitei should give up their mindset of looking to the other communities with contempt.

He even called upon the Meitei to look into history and stressed that the name of the community "tangkhul" which is a derivative from "Tadagikhul" and the name of the place "ukhrul" which is also a derivative from "U-khul" have been given by Meitei and as such there is nothing which will stop us from living together if we want to. He even emphasized that there is a lot of similarities in the languages of Tangkhul and Meitei and William Pettigrew could learn Tangkhul language because he knew Meiteilon very well.

In a nutshell what he has emphasized is a cohesive society based on respect for each and one another. Also a section of the Meitei population has been demanding the reversion rather than inclusion of the Meitei in the list of Scheduled Tribes in order to establish a cohesive and inclusive society in Manipur based on social and ethnic equality where every ethnic community has equal say and status.

The crux of the matter is that inclusion of the Meiteis in the list of Schedule Tribes shall mark the end of "Meitei chauvinism" and commence a meeting point for all communities in Manipur. However it seems, a good chunk of the Meitei population called the Meitei as Arya belonging to Kshatriya caste who is much higher caste than the chingmees who are scheduled tribes and "conversion" to Scheduled Tribe is therefore regressive.

But to the other chunk, this illusion of the good chunk of self-styled Kshatriya Meitei is itself regressive and it is against historical facts and it is this illusion which has brought fissures of unfathomable depth between the meiteis and chingmees. But quite shockingly the "Kshatriya meiteis" is still refusing to come out of such illusion despite the clarion call of so many civil society organisations like UCM, AMUCO and other organisations to unite all the communities calling all of us as brothers and commemoration of such brotherhood by arranging Chakouba of ChingmiIchal and so on regularly.

But, so long this "Meitei chauvinism" as perpetrated by "Kshatriya Meitei" is not abandoned, even insertion of any provision in the Constitution of India safeguarding the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be able to save Manipur from being totally disintegrated. Rightly said by AMKIL president, Ph. SakhiLeima while commenting on the disruption caused by Kukis at the ILP rally at Moreh in a press conference conducted on 19th August' 2015 that if there is no love relationship among different communities living together in Manipur, we will not be able to save Manipur.

But to establish this love relationship we, the meiteis have to shed this concept of "us high caste you down caste' and treat all the communities as equals and as a matter of fact, Meiteis or for that matter the chingmees was not having any caste system before the self proclamation of "Arya Kshatriya caste" by Meities which is absolutely without basis and to achieve this, pre-vaishnivism society of Manipur, the initial step will be the inclusion of the meiteis in the list of Schedule Tribes.

Whatever opinion that has been floated, it is time to emphasize the Hindi movie philosophy that only love can melt hearts and it is this love relationship which can hold all of us together and we need to deep root it. May God help Manipur.

Concluded..