July 10 tripartite talks postponed
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Senapati, July 08 2017: The much hyped tripartite talks involving the United Naga Council (UNC), the Central Government and the State Government on the district creation issue scheduled earlier for July 10 at Ukhrul have been postponed.

Sources said that the talks will be held after four or five days days .

According to sources, the Central Government has “fervently requested” the United Naga Council (UNC) for the postponement of the talks for a few more days saying the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has “other urgent matters” to be attended to, and that, its representatives would be finding it hard to meet the July 10 talks .

The UNC leaders obliged to the "fervent request" of the Central Government in this regard.

The sources said that the re-scheduled date of the tripartite talks will be known by Monday .

It is also said that even the venue of the talks has been changed.

Now the next tripartite talks will be held in Senapati district headquarters and not in Ukhrul .

Meanwhile, the UNC will hold a "crucial" meeting in Senapati town on Sunday from 10.30 am at the UNC office in connection with the issue .

It is worth recalling here that the one month's time frame to hold the tripartite talks on the district creation issue involving the Manipur Government, the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Central Government had lapsed on June 19 .

Earlier, the UNC leaders had asserted that they were ready to resort to strong forms of agitation again if the issue was not taken seriously by the Government.

The UNC leaders had also said that there should be a 'time frame or time bound' for the Government to resolve the issue.

The UNC had already said it "cannot go on holding the tripartite talks without addressing the issue” .

The UNC leaders had further said earlier that "if the tripartite talks are not going to address the issue we are all ready and all prepared to defend our lands by any means," adding that they are closely monitoring the trend, and that, "we will oppose anything that hurts the sentiments of the Naga people." On May 19, the representatives of the Manipur Government, the Central Government and the UNC had agreed to hold tripartite talks on the district creation issue at the political level within a month's time .

The UNC also stated that "since the new Government of Manipur under the leadership of N Biren Singh and the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre had assured us to redress the problems created by the communal Ibobi Singh Govern- ment we are fervently waiting for justice." .

In the last tripartite talks held on May 19 at Senapati headquarters involving the United Naga Council (UNC), the Government of India and the State Government of Manipur, it was reaffirmed the "focal point No 1 of agreement arrived at in the tripartite talks on March 19, 2017" which states that "the grievances of the United Naga Council which led to the imposition of the economic blockade by them was recognized as there was non-adherence to the four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Government of India's assurance on the matter.

The Government of Manipur agrees to start consultation with all stakeholders to redress the same" .

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