UNC calls bandh to demand rollback of new districts
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 30 2024: Registering the Naga public's resentment and demand for immediate roll back of what is termed as the arbitrarily-created 7 new districts', United Naga Council (UNC) has called a 48-hour total bandh in all Naga-inhabitant areas of the state with effect from midnight of October 3, 2024.In a statement issued Monday, the Council stated that an ultimatum was set for redressal of the pending issues of the arbitrary creation of 7 new districts in Manipur and demanding roll back of the said districts created on December 8, 2016 .

It continued that the demand was in the spirit of the standing four Memoranda of Understanding between government of Manipur and the Naga People, assurance from the government of India, and various round of Tripartite Talks amongst the stakeholders.

"The Naga people believe in dialogue and have therefore repeatedly appealed to authorities concerned including the last ultimatum to redress our grievances through talks but having no concrete response to our plea thus far, the Naga people have resolved to called for 48 hours total bandh to register our resentment and demand for immediate roll back of the arbitrarily creation of 7 new districts in all Naga areas with effect from midnight of October 3, 2024," it said.

The statement, however, informed that essential services, media and emergency cases shall be exempted from the purview of the bandh.

"Towards this end, prompt response and cooperation from the entire Naga populace is solicited", it said.

Mention may be made that the arbitrary creation of seven new districts by bifurcating parent districts on December 8, 2016 during the Congress regime without the informed consent and knowledge of the stakeholders dishonoured the four (4) memoranda between government of Manipur and the Naga people besides the assurance from the government of India in 2011.Consequent upon this, a mammoth protest, hartals and economic blockade was enforced on all the national highways for 139 days in the state and as many as ten rounds of Tripartite Talks amongst the government of Manipur, United Naga Council (UNC) and government of India had taken place to redress the issue, the last talk being held on March 9, 2019 with the assurance that concrete proposal shall be placed by the government of Manipur in the next round of talk supposedly proposed to be held by the last week of July 2019, it recalled.

The Council further stated that it had made its stance loud and clear through media outlets, reiterating their rigid position against the arbitrary, undemocratic and divisive declaration of 7 new districts on 8th December 2016 by the then government of Manipur and any subsequent decision or ruling passed by any institution or authority on the matter stands rejected.

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