Naga bodies urge PM to intervene
Source: The Sangai Express

Senapati, November 27 2016: The United Naga Council (UNC), the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Naga Women Union (NWU) have sought the 'immediate intervention' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Sadar Hills and Jiribam issues.

The three Naga organisations also apprised the Prime Minister on the arrest of United Naga Council (UNC) president Gaidon Kamei and UNC information secretary SK Stephen by the Manipur police.

In their joint memorandum to the Prime Minister, UNC, ANSAM and NWU highlighted the "facts and historical background" of the so called Sadar Hills and Jiribam sub-division "for your kind and immediate intervention" .

According to the memorandum, the three Naga bodies mentioned that "in continuation of our written submission on November 3, 2016, the Government of Manipur has decided to inaugurate the so called Sadar Hills and Jiribam sub division into full fledged districts, against the letter and spirit of the 4 (four) Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the Government of Manipur and the Naga people, and a written assurance given by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on November 24, 2011" .

Naga bodies urge PM to intervene

In protest against the "lopsided" decision of the "communal" Government of Manipur and to defend and protect 'our ancestral land', the Naga people had imposed a 48 hour total bandh followed by indefinite economic blockade including banning the construction of Trans Asian Railways and National Projects in "Naga territories" from midnight of October 30, 2016.It also stated that as the Naga people have declared severance of political ties with the "communal" Government of Manipur, "there is no talking point between the communal Government of Manipur and the Naga people" .

The memorandum then reminded the Prime Minister that the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Joint Secretary, NE had invited the United Naga Council (UNC) for a talk on November 13, 2016 between the Government of India, Government of Manipur and the UNC at North Block, New Delhi on November 15, 2016 on the present volatile situation.

But the Government of Manipur did not send any of its representatives at scheduled meeting, it added.

"Instead of finding peaceful and amicable solution on November 15 in New Delhi, the Government of Manipur arrested Gaidon Kamei, president, UNC and SK Stephen, information secretary, UNC without any arrest warrant on November 25", it further said.

They were produced before the Magistrate that evening itself and remanded to police custody for 14 days.

Responding to the arrest, a "joint emergency meeting" of the United Naga Council (UNC), All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), Naga Women Union (NWU), Naga Peoples' Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR-South Sector), regional frontal organisations, Naga Political Leaders Forum, Manipur (NPLFM), activists and Naga leaders was held at Katomai village, Tahamzam (Senapati) district on November 26 and decided to issue 48 hours ultimatum with effect from 4 pm of November 26 to 4 pm of November 28 to the Government that Gaidon Kamei and SK Stephen be released unconditionally and failing which O Ibobi Singh and his Government should be held responsible for any eventuality, the memorandum further mentioned.

The meeting also observed that "ours is political issue on land and historical rights and instead of solving the issue, the Government of Manipur has been deploying State security forces to arrest Naga leaders which the Naga people can never accept under any circumstances" .

According to the memorandum, the situation is becoming "more and more volatile" and there is every chance of "ethnic clashes erupting" at any moment to a magnitude "like the past ugly ethnic clash" .

This had led to loss of lives of hundreds and uprooted thousands, "due to untimely" intervention by the then Central Government.

"Your timely intervention is the urgent need of the hour to avoid all undesirable consequences," the memorandum urged.

"Therefore, political intervention from the Government of India is humbly sought to settle issue once and for all for it is impossible for the Nagas to live under the oppressive and hegemonic communal Government of Manipur," the joint memorandum of UNC, ANSAM and NWU stated.