Condemns the arrest warrant issued against Naga leaders
- NSUD (Naga Student's Union, Delhi) -

7/06/2010, New Delhi

Naga Students' Union, Delhi (NSUD) strongly condemns the "Arrest Warrant" issued against Samson Remei and David Choro, the leaders of United Naga Council (UNC) and All Naga Students' Association of Manipur (ANSAM) by the Government of Manipur. The decision of O. Ibobi Singh's government to proclaim the Presidents of ANSAM and UNC as "Wanted" with Cash Prize of Rs. 1 Lakh each on their heads is nothing short of a blatant misuse of the state machineries to suppress the Naga peoples' struggle for justice.

The Naga peoples' democratic and peaceful movement for justice against the arbitrary imposition of the District Councils' Elections processes had been brutally suppressed by the repressive state forces like the Indian Reserve Battalion, Manipur Police Commandos and the Manipur Rifles under O. Ibobi Singh.

Under such constraining circumstances when there are no more avenues left for the Nagas to exercise democratic means and spaces for justice, the Nagas have been left with no other option to resort to the blockade of National Highways 39 and 53 respectively. Such arbitrary and undemocratic acts of outlawing the Naga students' leaders by the Government of Manipur will only aggravate the already volatile situation in Manipur and in turn will further deepen the division between the Nagas and the Meteis.

The NSUD urgently demand immediate revocation of the arrest warrant and sought the intervention of central government for the arbitrary and undemocratic acts and decisions of the State Government at the earliest possible time. The Union further warns that if any untoward incident occurs, the Government of Manipur shall be solely held responsible.

The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act (Third Amendment) 2008 was passed in a surreptitious and hasty manner without proper consultations with the tribal people. The views and consents of the tribals should be given paramount importance regarding the District Council's Election as it is solely for the welfare of the Tribals in the Hill District of Manipur. It must be noted that the Tribal people have been opposing and boycotting the District Council's Election for the last 20 years, owing to the contentious provisions to the disadvantage of the tribal people of the state.

The Union further questions the intention of the Manipur Government for forcibly conducting the election under the barrel of the guns and the new found urgency to conduct District Council's election after 20 years. This is unconstitutional and undemocratic. Why should District Councils devoid of any real autonomy be imposed upon the tribals? The very purpose of having an autonomous body is void ab initio. It was solely in the backdrop of this development that UNC and ANSAM, after getting no response from the state government on their demands, called for economic blockade and the blockade was not due to any other agenda as certain section of the media tried to project.

The District Council's elections forcibly carried out against the wishes of the people on the 26th May, 2010 and 2nd June, 2010 was at best a farce with total abstention by the people in most of the Naga areas. The casting of vote was almost "NIL". The Union demands that the District Council's election must be declared null and void.

We would like to apprise the Central Government that the economic blockade and the ensuing bandhs in the four Naga Hill Districts in Manipur are not the real problems but just fall out of the bigger problem, that is, manifestations of the deep-seated resentment and anger of the Naga people against the State of Manipur for all the historical injustices meted out to them since the British colonial days. Sending more central forces will not solve but only compound the problem further.

New Delhi is mistaken if it thinks that the Naga people will be cowed down by such threat of use of coercive measures. Instead of circumventing from the real problem the Central Government should help in tackling the real issue and not concentrate on the peripheral circumstances of the real problem.

The reasons or demands behind the economic blockade need to be studied and urgently look into so that a lasting solution acceptable to all can be ushered in at the earliest. The Union also reckons, all the right thinking bodies and the citizens of the country must condemn the callous attitude of the Government of Manipur, on the voice of the tribals' rights in Manipur.

Boveio Poukai Duo
General Secretary
Naga Students' Union, Delhi