Tripartite talks deferred, again
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Senapati, July 21 2017: Much to the disappointment of the United Naga Council (UNC), the tripartite talks on the district creation has been postponed, again .

The talks involving the United Naga Council (UNC), the Central Government and the State Government was scheduled to be held on July 22 (Saturday) in Senapati district headquarters at the ‘political level’ but the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has again "fervently requested" the UNC leaders to have the talks early next month .

Speaking to Newmai News Network this evening over phone, Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the Government of Manipur had "requested" the former if the date of the talks could be scheduled for July 23 (Sunday) instead of July 22 .

According to Satyendra Garg, the Government of Manipur informed that its Ministers who are assigned to take part in the tripartite talks would not be able to skip the ongoing session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly on Saturday .

To this, the UNC had agreed to hold the talks even on Sunday but the proposal of the Government of Manipur will inconvenience officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) .

According to the MHA Joint Secretary, the Union Home Minister is taking part in the Question Hour of the ongoing Parliament Session on July 24, Monday, for which it has become a matter of compulsion that all the MHA officials are stationed from Sunday .

Now, things have come to such a situation that the next tripartite talks has been tentatively scheduled on August 5 or August 11, according to Satyendra Garg.

He also said that the Government of India "takes seriously" the tripartite talks, and "I hope things should be alright for everyone in the early part of next month."
It can be noted here that the tripartite talks on district creation issue which was scheduled earlier for July 10 at Ukhrul district headquarters was postponed, and the talk was latter fixed for July 21 with Senapati district headquarters as the venue .

Apparently reacting to the prolonging of the tripartite talks the UNC expressed its frustration today again .

UNC president Gaidon Kamei reiterated that Naga people in Manipur “to remain alert to face any eventuality" .

Earlier, the UNC had alleged that a party engaged in the tripartite talks was intentionally trying to sabotage the ongoing dialogue on district creation issue .

On May 19, representatives of Manipur Government, the Central Government and the UNC had agreed to hold the tripartite talks at the political level within a month's time.

The one month's time frame to hold tripartite talks had lapsed on June 19 .

The UNC had also stated earlier 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 Government we are fervently waiting for justice."
Things may be recalled here that, in the last tripartite talks held on May 19 in Senapati headquarters, it was reaffirmed the "focal point No 1 of agreement arrived at in the tripartite talks on March 19, 2017 was 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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