Imphal, September 6: The United Naga Council has today urged the Centre to impose the President’s Rule in Manipur today.
A press release of the council has said that the Union government cannot shy away from intervening in the present situation on the pretext of constitutional limitations when democracy and the constitutional rights of the people are being desecrated.
It said our peoples’ movement is rooted in our political aspirations as a people.
The people have registered their protest through more than adequate public statements and democratic civil actions on the unwarranted imposition of 144 CrPC in Ukhrul for more than seven weeks by the State government and the insecurity to which they have subjected the people to with unprecedented militarisation, it said.
The thousands of Nagas who came out to join the rallies on August 30 in all the Naga dominated districts were a clear demonstration of the sentiments of the people and cannot be belittled in a democracy, it added.
It further accused Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who are constitutionally obliged to listen to the voices of the people and protect their lives and safeguard their security for muffling the voices of the people instead.
Stressing that the Indo-Naga Cease-Fire was signed between the Union government and NSCN (IM) without any preconditions, the press release stated Naga people have upheld the Indo-Naga peace process with respect and great expectation over the last 17 years.
Instead of facilitating the peace process, as is their bounden duty, the State government has played spoilsport by militarising Naga areas on the pretext of maintaining law and order with the sole intention of dishonouring the Indo-Naga cease-fire and sabotaging the Indo-Naga peace process, it further stated.
It said Gaikhangam, who not so long ago championed Naga integration and signed the memorandum demanding for integration of Naga areas submitted to the Prime Minister of India on May 27, 2005 by 11 MLAs and 2 MPs today is an ardent advocate against the Naga people.
In the press release issued by the publicity wing of UNC, the Naga frontal organisation have questioned the deputy CM’s suggestion that the August 30 rally and protest occurred at the behest of others and was not a spontaneous people’s rally. Asking what he means by these ‘others’, UNC expressed its wish to ascertain whether those who protest against unfair and unjust imposition by a communal government ‘criminals”.
Asking why 144 CrPC was not revoked during the rally in respect to the people, it stated that the deputy CM and his government had orchestrated the incident knowing fully-well what would happen on that day. The State government is solely responsible for the crime, it added.
Claiming that the text messages received by the deputy CM, real or imaginary, congratulating him over the successful militarisation of Ukhrul have taken precedence over the thousands of Nagas who rallied across the land of the Nagas on August 30 in condemnation of the same, UNC stressed in the press statement that the voice of the people is supreme in a democracy.
Urging the Union government to understand that UNC does not believe in violence, the Naga frontal organisation claimed that its people’s movement was based upon the unmistakable fact that it was impossible to protect our right to life, land, time-honored institutions, customary practice and values under the administration of the communal Government of Manipur. It further stated in the press release that throughout its history with the State government, the Ste government has never respected the identity and dignity of the Naga people.
Pointing out that until and unless the Nagas and tribals have an alternative arrangement outside the scope of the State government, the press release from UNC stated that the strife, conflict and the potential for catastrophic communal clash will always be there.
