Tripartite talk held; Kakching body opposes rollback
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati/Kakching, January 30 2025: The tripartite talk among the government of India, state government, and the United Naga Council (UNC) resumed on Thursday at Senapati district headquarters.

The discussions centred on the controversy arising out of creation of seven new districts by the then O Ibobi-led government on December 8, 2016, and UNC's demand for the rollback of these newly created districts.

As the 13th round of tripartite talks concluded without a resolution on Thursday with exception of the government of Manipur's representatives assuring to table concrete proposal in the next round of negotiation, opposition is growing against any potential rollback of district status.

P Somarendra, advisor to the JNGVO, strongly objected to any move to revoke Kakching's district status.

Tripartite talk held; Kakching body opposes rollback

He said that Kakching's designation as a district, also achieved on December 8, 2016, was the result of sustained efforts and that reversing it would harm local development and governance.

Somarendra focused the long history of activism for Kakching's district status, recalling significant protests before the 1983 district reorganisation demanding its recognition.

The Senapati discussion, focused on the UNC's demand to reverse the creation of seven new districts in 2016, and ended with an agreement to meet again in April 2025 .

The 2016 creation of the seven districts, notified on December 8 of that year, remains a point of contention.

After thorough deliberations, it was mutually agreed that the representatives of the state government will present a proposal in the next tripartite meeting in April.

The meeting was attended by MHA advisor (NE) AK Mishra, chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, commissioner (home) N Ashok Kumar, deputy director (IB) Navdeep Singh Grewal, UNC president Ng Lorho, vice-president N Gonmei Poujan, general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, speaker W Kohring Victor, UNC Working Committee convenor Samson Remei, member secretary AC Thotso, members KS Paul Leo & L Adani, All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) president M Luikang Luckson, ANSAM president-elect Th Angteshang Maring, Naga Women's Union president Ch Priscilla Thiumai, and Naga People's Organisation president H Kuba Peter.

Officials of the state government during the tripartite meeting that they will present a proposal on the demand for cancellation of the 2016 decision to form seven new districts in the next round of talks.

Those districts were created by the then Congress government led by O Ibobi Singh amid opposition from the United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of Naga tribes in Manipur.

The UNC is against formation of the new districts, asserting that those districts encroached upon the ancestral land of the Nagas.

Talks were being held on their demands.

According to a joint statement issued after the tripartite talk, "The discussions focused on the creation of seven new districts by the government of Manipur in December 2016 and UNC's demand for its rollback.

"After threadbare discussions, it was mutually agreed that a proposal will be presented by representatives of the state government in the next tripartite meeting which will be held in April 2025," said the statement signed by Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar for the Manipur government, Advisor NE at the Ministry of Home Affairs AK Mishra and UNC president Ng Lorho.

The last round of tripartite talks, held in November last year, did not yield any result.

"Representatives of the government of Manipur expressed inability to present a concrete proposal in view of certain difficulties.

However, UNC expressed strong exceptions over non-submission of a concrete proposal and insisted that it be submitted in the next rounds of talks," according to a statement issued then.

Those seven new districts were formed by dividing the total nine existed at that time.

The Congress government had then said that the move was aimed at administrative convenience.

(With inputs from Agencies) .