Naga bodies stand up against district status to Sadar Hills
UNC calls 48 hrs total shutdown, lines up indefinite eco blockade
Source: The Sangai Express

Senapati, October 29 2016: The United Naga Council (UNC) has announced today that a 48-hour "total shut down" will be imposed followed by indefinite economic blockade on National Highways including a ban on the construction of Trans Asian Railways, Jiribam to Tupul and other National projects in all the "Naga territories" in Manipur with effect from midnight of October 30 against the "lopsided decision" to upgrade Sadar Hills and Jiribam to full fledged districts and against "State sponsored terrorism by the communal Government of Manipur" .

According to the United Naga Council, every indigenous Naga village has its own well-defined traditional boundary and jurisdiction since time immemorial.

The UNC also said that there has never been any confusion on the ancestral land of the Nagas be it among the Nagas or with the neighboring communities.

Naga bodies stand up against district status to Sadar Hills

"The indigenous Nagas have all along been fighting against the arbitrary bifurcation and division of our land without our knowledge and consent", it added.

According to the UNC, the wishes of the indigenous Naga people on the issue of the "so called Sadar Hills" have been expressed in the 4 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the Naga people and the Government of Manipur on December 14, 1981, between the Government of Manipur and All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), on November 10, 1992 between Government of Manipur and Naga Students' Federation (NSF), on September 27, 1996 between the Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC) and ANSAM and on June 23, 1998 between the Government of Manipur and UNC and ANSAM agreeing that "not even an inch of Naga ancestral land should be touched while creating any new district" and also a written assurance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India on November 24, 2011 .

It then warned that "O Ibobi Singh shall be held responsibility" for any eventuality if it goes against the letter and spirit of the four Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and written assurance.

The UNC said that land and the Nagas are inseparable.

"It is the obligation of every Naga people to protect and defend our ancestral land, people, identity, history, tradition, culture, custom and time honored-institutions at all cost.

We are the owner of our land and we will never allow anyone to decide for the Nagas.

We strongly oppose the proposed creation of the so called Sadar Hills and Jiribam sub division as full fledged revenue districts," it added.

The UNC "strongly" appealed to all the constituent units, Naga frontal organisations and the general public to stand unitedly and also directed all to strictly enforce the directive in their respective jurisdiction.

"Anyone defying and violating this directive shall be at his/her own risk," it warned.