IMPHAL, December 8: The United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed its strong disappointment over the statement of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh made during his public meeting at the state capital on December 3, that the central government was committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur.
The council has also decided to impose a ban on all construction works on the Jiribam-Tupul Trans Asian Railway line for a period of two months w.e.f. December 16.
In a statement, the UNC has stated that while the Indo-Naga dialogue is underway and a democratic process of tripartite talk of GoI, GoM and the UNC for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur; the statement of the Prime Minister has created a confusion in the minds of the Nagas.
It has further stated that the UNC is unable to discern sincerity in the statement and are prompted to question whether the Indo-Naga issue has been subjected to the electoral politics of a mere state under the Union of India, even when the unique history and situation of the Nagas has been recognised by the GoI in the course of the 14 long years of peace process and also when the Prime Minister had committed to an out of the box solution.
The statement has also mentioned that the Union home minister on November 2 at Senapati and the Prime Minister on December 3 have both expressed that the UNC tripartite talk process should be continued.
It has further continued that the assuraces have been made when the Nagas in Manipur have already gone into protest since October 19, against subjecting the tripartite process to the convenience and interest of the GoM.
However, not to speak of any initiative to bring the process back on rail, the Prime Minister’s statement has come as a damper, it added.
It has further stated that the issue is about the sharp social divide in Manipur on communal lines on which the Prime Minister had expressed his concern in public. It is about the rights of the Nagas and tribals over their land, about our dignity and honour and respect for our time honoured traditional institutions, cultural practices and way of life that are being taken away through legitimately established sanctions engineered by the government of Manipur, it added.
“Therefore, in protest against the lack of political will on the GoI to address the above issues, we are compelled to impose a ban on all construction works on the Jiribam-Tupul Trans Asian Railway line for a period of two months w.e.f. 7 days of this press statement ie December 16”.
It has also said “Instead of according priority to settlement of issues that are already registered and recognized, attempts are being made to tap.
these nagas will not allowed any development and will blame only to the Manipur Government for ill treatment and underdeveloped of Hilly area. these nagas are loyal to NSCM (IM). What they want is to show those innocent nagas that Manipur Government treat them like stepmother… so this can be possible only when there is no development in their area… time has come to our fellow educated nagas brother to acknowledge their true enemy in their own community….. development knows no creed or religion /caste it leads to peace and progress.