MCA raises partisan accusation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 05 2025: The Maring Chairmen Association (MCA) has accused the Tengnoupal DC Sourabh Yadav of holding a discreet meeting with a few village chiefs from a specific community on July 29, 2025 to discuss the Tengnoupal District Headquarters issue by excluding the majority of the district's communities.

In a statement, the MCA claimed that the meeting notice was discreetly issued by the Deputy Commissioner's Office on July 23 .

"To our utter shock and dismay, it has come to the notice of the indigenous populace of Tengnoupal Sub-Division, Moreh SubDivision and Machi-Sub Division that a highly contentious and provocative meeting notice was discreetly issued by the Deputy Commissioner's Office, Tengnoupal, under the authority of Sourabh Yadav (IAS), on the 23rd of July, 2025," the association said and added that the meeting was held on July 29 without wider public knowledge and included only a few village chiefs from a particular community.

The action of convening a meeting that excludes the majority of the district's communities viz the Maring, Lamkang, Chothe, Aimol, Monsang, Moyon, Taraq, Kom, Tangkhul, Muslim, Meetei, Gurkha, Tamil, Rongmei, Mao and Chiru is both irresponsible and discriminatory, it asserted.

The MCA continued that the development is particularly disturbing as the issue of district headquarters has been a long-standing and sensitive issue that remains under the purview of the ongoing tripartite talks between the Government of India, the Government of Manipur and the United Naga Council (UNC) .

Stating that excluding key stakeholders from the meeting undermines the spirit of inclusivity and mutual respect that the tripartite talks aim to uphold, the MCA cautioned that holding a meeting on a sensitive issue without involving the key stakeholders poses a growing threat to harmony and stability among the region's indigenous population.

The indigenous communities take strong exception to such an unwarranted and divisive approach, the association said and maintained that they view the act as a serious breach of administrative neutrality which can disturb the fragile peace in a State already grappling with tension and unrest.

Maintaining that such selective engagement raises serious questions about transparency, fairness and intent, the MCA added that the move appears to be a deliberate attempt to distort the historical and traditional land ownership of the region while creating space for communal friction.

Appealing to the Deputy Commissioner to act responsibly, respect the customary land ownership and engage in fair and inclusive consultation with all stakeholders before taking any decision on a sensitive matter, the MCA maintained that any attempt to impose decisions without due consultation will only exacerbate tension.

The association urged the Central and State Governments to take immediate cognizance of the matter and ensure that the principles of justice, inclusivity, and transparency are upheld in both letter and spirit.

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