UNC bandh peaceful on Day-1
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 12, 2013: The United Naga Council (UNC) sponsored 48 hours bandh was peaceful on the first day today. All the inter-state public transports did not ply today while inter-district transports in the Naga dominated districts of Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel too did not operate.

Reports reaching here said that shops, educational institutions and other business activities were halted today.

Speaking to NNN, UNC vice president Warngam Anal said so far there was no response from the government side.

He reiterated that even after the 48-hour bandh gets over, the series of agitation announced earlier will be enforced immediately after this total bandh.

Meanwhile, reports from Tamenglong district said, BRTF did not carry out their road construction works today due to the UNC bandh along the National Highway 37.The source said even the railway track construction works were halted since last night.

The United Naga Council (UNC) is agitating in protest against the non-resumption of tripartite talks on the Nagas demand for 'Alternative Arrangement' in Manipur.

On August 5, the UNC leaders in a meeting held at Senapati had decided to resort to series of agitations including a 48-hour total bandh, indefinite banning of national projects under its jurisdiction and boycotting of Independence Day celebrations.

"The non receipt of response from the Government of India to the submission of the UNC dated 15th July, 2013 for indicating the date for the next round (6th) of tripartite talk of the GoI, Government of Manipur and the Nagas on the demand for an 'alternative arrangement' outside the government of Manipur was taken up among other agenda in the meeting of the Presidential Council of the UNC held at Tahamzam (Senapati) on the 5th August, 2013," the UNC had said .

According to the UNC, in its meeting which was also attended by all the regional and Naga frontal organisations took strong exception to the lack of respect for the democratic process of dialogue by the government of India and the government of Manipur which had been put in place at the instance of the government of India.

"While it has been placed on record by the UNC team in the tripartite talks that the government of India and the government of Manipur must be respectful of the democratic process of dialogue and avoid delays in taking it forward, the delay in convening the 6th round of talk even after lapse of more than 5 months since the last talk, which concluded with assurance for convening the next round at an early date and the non receipt of any communication from the government of India to the request for indicating the date for the next round of talk even after lapse of 20 days reflects insincerity and lack of seriousness of the government of India in taking forward the dialogue process that it has initiated, to its logical conclusion," the UNC note had said.

The Naga body then said the dialogue process initiated by the government of India because of the social divide on communal lines created by years of suppression, exploitation and discrimination on the Nagas has not resulted in toning down on the communal policies and activities of the government of Manipur and the communal forces which informs its decision.

These relentless onslaught have been continuously highlighted in our public statements.

The government of India refuses to intervene even in the face of such situation.

Therefore in protest against the lack of respect and seriousness in upholding the democratic process of dialogue and to urge the government of India for immediate intervention pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue, the presidential council decided that a 48-hour total bandh would be observed in Naga areas from the midnight of August 11 to midnight of August 13.Medical services, fire-brigade, media, power and telecommunication departments and observation of Bolbum ritual will be exempted from the purview of the total bandh.

The UNC also said the Naga people will abstain from participation in the 66th Indian Independence Day celebration.

It also said a ban on all construction works of Central Projects such as the Trans-Asian Railway line and Power Grid line would be observed indefinitely till otherwise decided.

All concerned tribe should be vigilant and disallow the arbitrary boundary fencing being taken up on the Indo-Burma borders which seeks to disintegrate or barter away Naga areas.

The issue on census/delimitation and denial of representation being spearheaded by the Naga Peoples Organisation (NPO) will be supported by all tribes or organisations.

All tribe or organisation should refrain from diluting the political position of the people with regard to severance of ties with the government of Manipur and to uphold the people's decision in letter and spirit, the UNC stated.

The UNC meeting then decided that the peoples' movement for their democratic rights will be intensified in consonance with the intervention of the government of India.

"We solicit the cooperation and goodwill of the general public towards making the protest programme peaceful and violence free.

Anybody violating the above strictures would be doing so at their own risk," it cautions.

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