FUNICH condemns Gaidon Kamei's arrest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 26 2016:
Forum for Understanding the Naga-India Conflict and Human Rights (FUNICH) has condemned the State Government discriminatory action towards the Nagas by arresting UNC president Gaidon Kamei.
In a statement, FUNICH said that Gaidon Kamei represents the voice of all the Nagas whose areas fall within the jurisdiction of Manipur on issues of land, Naga culture, tradition and customary law.
It is unfortunate that the State Government arrested UNC president for asserting the inherent indigenous peoples' rights of the Nagas in Manipur.
"Manipur State Government clearly knows that the ongoing blockade in the hill districts of Manipur State especially in four Naga inhabited hill districts is the direct result of the State Government's attempt to address the issue of Sadar Hills and Jiribam disregarding previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Naga civil bodies and the Government of India and Manipur Government.
Rather than addressing the issue democratically, the State Government arrested a Naga leader," Lakpachui Siro, convener, FUNICH said.
If at all the State Government is serious on the issue, taking the confidence of all the stakeholders is expected.
However, in the present case, the State Government has completely ignored the voice of all the stakeholders.
Moreover, the State Government actions to address the issue of Sardar Hill and Jiribam is nothing more than a political gimmick to come back to power in the State.
This is not the first time that the State Government has played communal politics in the State when election is nearing.
It is also very clear that the State Government is playing with the emotion of the hill people as well the valley people by creating communal tension.
The State Government instead of creating conducive environment for dialogue and discussion amongst the stakeholders, it is busy creating social tensions amongst various ethnic communities with clear intention to come back to power.
Finally, the State Government has rationalized the plan for Sadar Hill and Jiribam district creation purely on administrative convenience.
However, if we look at the map of the proposed Sadar Hill district, the boundary touches every hill district of the State.
If it is for the administrative convenience, it will be much better off if those hill areas are integrated with Tamenglong, Chandel and Ukhrul districts.