Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 12 2010:
Explaining its stand and what it meant by "alternative administrative arrangement of the Nagas", the United Naga Council today has asserted that their is nothing anti-State or anti-Nation in their demand.
Stating that this is their core demand and as such was put forward during the first tripartite meeting held at Senapati on December 3, UNC said that this issue figured in the talk.
However the State Government had refuted the report that the alternative arrangement which the UNC was talking about did not figure on the agenda of the meeting.
In a statement issued today evening, the publicity wing of the UNC said that it is known to all that the Nagas had decided to sever all ties with the Government of Manipur on July 1 .
The decision was taken by the highest decision making body, the Naga People's Convention.
Despite this fact, 'However to dilute the Naga movement and the term alternative arrangement, many are deliberately distorting its political face by terming it as sovereignty to greater Nagalim to State and Union Territory and so on for reasons best known to them,' the UNC said.
Nevertheless the term 'alternative arrangement' is political in nature and it requires the Centre to see it as a political issue after consulting the aggrieved parties.
On the December 3 tripartite talk, the UNC said that it was necessitated by a memorandum submitted by it to the Centre on September 14 this year.
Sharing its thought, the UNC said that it would be improper for political parties, civil society organisations or individuals to presume things before the Centre says anything as it could sabotage the rightful demand of the marginalised hill people in Manipur.
UNC said that instead of taking a confrontationist stand over the issue, it would be best for all communities to bring their issues to the table of the authority concerned.