Swindling Manipuris in solving Naga issue

S. Ajit *

During last Manipur Legislative Assembly Election the All Manipur Students’ Union Manipur (AMSU) had expressed strong apprehension on the peace talk between the Government of India and NSCN-IM. Concealing of the Frame Work Agreement signed between the two groups has provoked the mind of the people in three states viz, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh to have been cheated. People of the three states have been urging the India government to spell out the content of the Frame Work Agreement.

United Committee Manipur (UCM) also felt that the content in the Frame Work Agreement may affect the territorial integrity of the state and have been voicing for disclosure of the FA. Almost all political Parties of the state have also expressed apprehension on its impact to the state of Manipur.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Union Home Minister Rajnath and the President of the BJP Amit Shah had repeatedly assured that the Frame Work Agreement have nothing to do with the state of Manipur while delivering speech during pre election campaign of the 11 Manipur Legislative Assembly Election. The leaders keep on playing the people of the state saying that the FA was only a principle to solve the issues of the NSCN-IM.

Following that the leaders of the state BJP had expressed civil society bodies of the state particularly the AMSU and UCM and other political parties to be over reactive. The BJP leaders had many times stated that the if the people cannot trust what the Prime Minister of India whom the people will have trust when the civil society urged for revelation of the content of the Frame work agreement.

Even in the Manipur State Assembly too many resolutions for protection of the territorial integrity of the state have been resolved and similar voices were also came from the state of Arunachal Pradesh as well as from Assam.

Interlocutor of the Indian Government RN Ravi had held meeting with selected representatives of the Civil Society leaders. During the meeting the representative of the civil society organisations, at almost all the meeting, had stated that the solution should not give any impact to the interest of the Manipur after presenting the anal of Manipur history. Time and again the India government had been conveyed that the Manipur people will never accept any kind of division among the Manipuri people on ethnic line by keeping them under different administration.

Swindling the people

People inhabiting in the Eastern part have never been viewed from the perspective of the Indian Constitution. The privileged provided under the constitution of India was never included for the people of the region. That is why states in the eastern region have different administration than those of the mainland Indian states.

This has been justified by them saying that people of the region are underdeveloped uncivilised people. This can be looked from two perspectives – 1) the people of these regions are uncivilised underdeveloped so they can be suppressed by granting some package. Secondly to incite enmity among the various community of the state so that they cane never unite.

This is being stated from the way that the Indian government started dividing the people of Assam by arranging separate administration for separate community. One needs to ponder on why the Indian government is constitution different administration for different community? This only lead to some vested interested in playing ethic base politics for their self gain and even eradicate the deep rooted historical link of the people of the region.

The people of the region once considered that joining the Indian Union would bring prosperity and development of the region under democratic principle. That was the region that some people of the time stood against the Monarch form of government and demanded merger of the state to the democratic Indian Union.

What is frustrating is the cheating of the erstwhile nation by keeping as a part c state under the Indian Union after being merged to the Indian Union in October 15, 1949. Before merger to the Indian Union Manipur even had a elected form of government by conducting adult franchise election in 1948.

Today too, it was many time assured that the solution of the NSCN-IM problem will not affect any communities of the region. RN Ravi, the present interlocutor had met some intellectual persons as well as representatives of the Civil Society organisation of the region.

He also met various stakeholders of the Nagaland. And later, the peace talk is finally heading towards distorting of the Manipur’s history besides repeated promise that interest of Manipur will never be affected while solving the vex Naga issue. .

Leaders of the Manipur State BJP had many times fooled the people of the state saying that nothing that might affect the state of Manipur is included in the frame work agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and GoI during election campaign days. On one hand they will say the agreement is historic while saying that nothing is there in the frame Work Agreement. The swindling of the Manipuri people are later echoed by some State BJP leaders and continue to fool the people.

The report of the standing committee of the Home Affairs to both the Parliament mentioned crystal clear that Nagas will be given a special status and those inhabiting in other part of the Neighbouring state of Nagaland will be kept under one administration.

Even after knowing the status of the talk, the Chief Minister of Manipur still stand with promises that he will resign from his seat if the peace talk affect the interest of Manipur. Addition to this, some puppets of the BJP from the state of Manipur keeps on fooling the people that the agreement has nothing to be worried as it will not affect the state.

Instead of consulting with other political parties and making a decision on what to stand these pumps are now playing blame game saying that the chairman of the Committee which have submitted the report if from the Congress Party. Here what is to be realised is that it does not make any difference on who is the Chairman of the Committee but it is about the granting of the special status of the Nagas. Together we should stand and prepare for a befitting reply to any effort which are trying to distort the history, boundary and integrity of the state.

The Naga peace accord is in the final stage but what is waiting is on who will sign the agreement from the part of the Nagaland. Whether the reaffirmation of the Assembly resolution about the protection of the Manipur Legislative Assembly will be able to protect the state or not is a questioned which everyone is asking.