Imphal, July 28 2010: Ahead of the Manipur Integrity Day observance to be held at five locations of the State, All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has called upon the people to renew pledge for safeguarding territorial and emotional integrity of Manipur.

An AMUCO message issued today pointed out that even though Manipur's boundary remains intact there is still threat to the status as the Government of India had been instigating an armed group to foment trouble in the region.

While recounting that mass and spontaneous movement in the State on August 4, 1997 had proved to the centre that people of manipur would never tolerate infringement on its territory integrity, AMUCO asserted that determination of the organisation in opposing any sinister ploy to create divisions among the people is paramount.

Conceding that there ought to be differences of opinion and approach in all sections of the society, particularly in a multi-ethnic society like Manipur, AMUCO nevertheless disagreed with the concept that safeguarding one's culture and tradition means establishing a new land through partition of historically existent land.

Contending that since gaining Independence india's policy is ensure safeguard of its boundary with the north east region as the last frontier, AMUCO substantiated its assertion with reference to Sardar Vallabhbhai patel's agenda to cluster tiny States of the region as single entity which was followed by renaming of certain parts of the region as Eastern border Frontier and Purvanchal.

Such a policy underscores the concept that there is no place for smaller indigenous group of people or tiny States, the body observed.

Even though such a design of the Government of India had been stauchly opposed by NE states like Assam, Tripura and Manipur, public leaders of Nagaland with AZ Phizo as the pioneer figure and emboldened by the Centre's agenda are yet to give up on expanding the boundary of Nagaland.

The expansionist vision of Nagaland could be comprehended from the Naga-Akbar Haidari Accord (1947), 16 Point Agreement (1960), Shillong Accord (1975) and the ongoing ceasefire agreement, AMUCO pointed out while pointing out that there is hardly any need to wage armed movement by the Naga insurgent groups against the Government of India in case the ultimate demand is to remain within the country for Statehood had already been granted in 1963 .

By pretending to uphold 'unique Naga history' the Centre has succeeded in splitting the NSCN organisation and continues to support one of the group to maintain its grip in the region even though such an agenda had claimed the lives of many.

The piecemeal dialogue being initiated by the centre rather than composite dialogue is a clear evidence that the Centre do not want peace to usher in the region for pleasing one group and keeping away other groups would never stabilise North East, maintained AMUCO and cited 68 instances of negotiations between the NSCN (IM) and the Centre without any constructive settlement so far as the indicator that peace in the region is not on the Centre's menu.

Agenda of the Centre needs no reminder for the most recent talk held for the first time in Nagaland failed to find any positive breakthrough as the Centre's representatives outrightly maintained that unity and integrity of India would not be compromised while 'interest of the nagas' would be considered.

These stand of the talks' interlocutors was contradicted by no other than the Union Home Minister who ruled out sovereign status of the nagas as well as asserted that the peace negotiations would not entertain disturbing existing boundary of other States.

On the otherhand, NSCN (IM) chairman Th Muivah had been advocating 'unique history of nagas' in pursuance of uniting Naga inhabited areas under a single administrative unit, AMUCO highlighted.

With regard to alleged indifferent attitude to suffering of the people of Manipur, AMUCO recounted that when Assam Agitation was launched the then Indira Gandhi-led Government of India air-dropped specially trained Army troopers to restore supply of fuel from Assam to other refineries before any permanent damage had been done to the pipelines.

What compelling factor/s prevented Government of India from making similar or less effort to ensure unrestrained supply of essential commodities when economic blockade was enforced on the lifelines of manipur for over two months, AMUCO posed.

Such callousness of the central Government and existing threat to the territorial and emotional integrity of Manipur could not be undermined and as such there is need for participation of the mass in the observance of Manipur Integrity Day during which issues besetting the people would be deliberated.

The observance would be held at THAU Ground, Thangmeiband for Imphal, Yairipok Singga (Thoubal), Moirang (Bishnupur), Jiribam (Imphal East) and Moreh (Chandel), added the AMUCO press statement.

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