Tripartite talks : Govt has to decide before April 10: Gaidon Kamei
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, March 23 2018:
The 8th round of tripartite talks between the Central Government, State Government and the United Naga Council (UNC) was held at DRDA Conference Hall, Senapati today over the UNC's demand to revoke the order by which seven new districts were created.
The meeting agreed that the State Government will finalize its stand on the demands of UNC by April 10 and inform the Central Government and UNC about it.
The three parties also decided to hold the next round of talks on April 27 after a heated debate for over two hours and a half which was interrupted by a short lunch break.
The meeting began at around 11.30 am and ended at around 1.40 pm.
Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, (North East), Ministry of Home Affairs, represented the Central Government while the Government of Manipur was represented by Agriculture Minister V Hangkhanlian, Tribal and Hill Areas Development Minister N Kayisii and Education Minister Thokchom Radheshyam.
The UNC team comprising of 15 delegates was led by then-president Gaidon Kamei.
The agreement signed during the meeting stated that the State Government will finalize its stand on UNC the demand by April 10 and it will inform the Central Government and the United Naga Council about its decision.
It was also agreed that the next round of talks will be held on April 27.The agreement was signed by UNC president Gaidon Kamei, UNC general secretary S Milan, ANSAM president Seth Shatshang and NWU president Asha Wungnam while Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu and Secretary (Revenue) T Ranjit Singh signed on behalf of the State Government and Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, (North East), MHA, signed on the part of the Central Government.
"There was hot argument during the meeting as the Government representatives failed to apply what we agreed in the last two meetings apart from coming empty handed today without any concrete proposal", said Gaidon Kamei while asserting, "Now we have given a time line to decide its stand on or before April 10." To a query about the recently concluded Assembly session where it had been resolved that there is no question of rolling back the newly created districts, the UNC president said that the Government representatives flatly rejected the statement during the meetings stating that the statement was just given by a Minister.
On further enquiry as to how any decision passed in the Assembly could be rejected, the UNC president said that they have discussed all the points one after another and cornered the Government representatives and they have given their commitment to resolve the issue before April 10."They will hear something from us", asserted Gaidon Kamei in response to a query if nothing materialises before April 10 as agreed in today's meeting.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting outside DRDA Conference Hall, Satyendra Garg said that the UNC's demand to roll back the newly created districts will be decided by the Government of Manipur and it would finalize its stand by April 10 .
"District Boundary Commission has of course been constituted but it has not yet started working" asserted Satyendra Garg on being asked about- the progress of the newly constituted District Boundary Commission after the creation of the new districts.
Interestingly Dr J Suresh Babu while responding to the same query, said that engaging UNC on talks is a big issue and also a big achievement stating that they have been able to convince the UNC on certain fronts and they are also reasonably not in an agitation mode as the dialogue process has been going on for so many months.
On being asked the availability of other options to be provided to the UNC if the State Government should stick to its decision not to roll back the newly created districts, the Addl Chief Secretary said that it will be decided by the Cabinet.
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