Joy throws ball at Centre's court
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 28 2015 :
Taking serious note of the tense situation between Manipur and Nagaland over ambiguity in the inter-State boundary, former Minister and veteran politician Okram Joy has stated that the Government of India should intervene immediately and bring a permanent solution.
Speaking to some media persons today, O Joy noted that Manipur and Nagaland have been confronting each other intermittently because the boundary line between the two States is not well defined.
He also expressed deep concern that the issue of incursion into Dzuko valley by Nagaland may turn out to be a grave one after the ADC election.
Saying that he was also a member of the North East Regional Political Forum which was set up some years back, Joy informed that the forum never picked up any agenda which can hurt sentiments of any community.
Only common issues including boundary disputes were discussed.
A large number of security personnel were killed in 1979 when security forces of Assam and Nagaland fought a battle over the ownership of Merapani, a tract of land located between the two States, Joy reminded.
Ambiguity in boundary line has been a bone of contention and conflict between neighbouring States since a long time back.
The same situation prevails till today.
"When Buta Singh was a Union Minister, a delegation of the North East Regional Political Forum went to Delhi and urged the Minister to set up a boundary commission so as to resolve all boundary among different States of North East region once for all and I was a member of the delegation", Joy said.
But neither the Government of India nor the State Government has ever tried to address the issue of boundary dispute sincerely, he decried.
He went on to question if the political leaders of India have been deliberately keeping the boundary issue unresolved for their narrow political gains.
It would be in the fitness of things for the Government of Manipur to take up the matter with the Government of India as a matter of urgency so that a boundary commission is constituted at the earliest, Joy added.