After UNC, ZB-M, ANSAM announces boycott of Orange festival
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Senapati, December 12 2012: After United Naga Council (UNC) and Zeliangrong Baudi, Manipur (ZB-M), All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) has decided to boycott the forth coming Manipur State Level Orange Festival to be held on December 17 and 18 at Tamenglong district headquarters.

According to the ANSAM, it had taken this decision on Tuesday in its meeting.

"Nagas are not against the spirit of festivals which promotes reconciliation and harmony and goodwill among the people.

But when the Government of Manipur sponsored festivals are used as platforms to dilute and negate the very political position of the Nagas and undermine our rights, it is the moral responsibility of the people to abstain from participating in such programmes.

State sponsored festivals such as the Orange Festival seek to present the fallacious picture of a responsible State Government promoting horticulture and social harmony in the state when in reality it has consistently deprived the Naga people of real development benefits through diversion and corruption and created irreparable rifts between the communities through its communal policies and actions.

The cosmetic pretensions are designed for perpetuation of the hegemony of the communal government of Manipur over the Nagas and the tribal of Manipur.

The proven mission of Mr Ibobi, the other Ministers of government of Manipur and MLAs of the ruling Government and also the unmandated Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) has been to oppose the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue and for derailing the much awaited settlement of the Indo-Naga issue through their machination, as manifested in the recent posturing of some groups without any basis or history.

To receive and welcome such individuals would be partaking in our own humiliation in our own home and hearth and would be most unbecoming of any Naga person, groups or organisations," ANSAM said today.

Having deliberated on this issue at length in the 3rd Presidential Council meeting of the ANSAM on December 11, it has been decided to boycott the State sponsored Orange Festival as already declared by the UNC.

It was also decided that all constituent units and sub-ordinate bodies of the Association will be involved in giving effect to this decision.

"We, therefore also appeal to all Nagas to stay away from the state sponsored Orange festival scheduled to be held on December 17 and 18 at Tamenglong HQs and other such programmes so that the political position of severance of ties with the government of Manipur is maintained in pursuance of our inherent and democratic aspirations," the Naga students' body stated.

According to ANSAM, the Nagas in Manipur have declared their political position of severance of all political ties with the communal Government of Manipur based upon the 'unmistakable' facts that it is impossible to protect our right to life, land and resources, time-honored institutions, customary practice and values; have our identity respected and live with dignity and honour as a people under its administration.

The unmistakable facts are corroborated by the sharp social divide on communal lines, manifested in all spheres of life be it in the media, in work places or in the daily social intercourse.

"By the declaration of severance of political ties with the government of Manipur, the Nagas in Manipur had established the political position that it does not recognize the government of Manipur.

This political position has been registered with the Government of India and thereby, at the instance of the Government of India (GoI), the democratic process of dialogue in the tripartite talk of the United Naga Council (UNC), the government of Manipur and government of India on the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur has been put in place," ANSAM added.

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