IMPHAL, November 7: The Association of Premier State College Seniors, Manipur (APSCS) representatives including its president K Chandradhan Singh, general secretary Dr AK Chishti, joint secretary Dr O Kumar Singh and treasurer Dr H Madhusudan Singh had met GOI interlocutor RN Ravi at Classic Grande on November 4 at 10:20 am.
Speaking at a press conference held today afternoon at APSCS office in DM College campus, Dr AK Chishti said that they told RN Ravi that it is improper to keep the Naga Peace Accord signed on August 3, 2015 between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) still as a classified document for more than 3 months.
He said the APSCS has demanded for making the so called “Frame Work Agreement” public to end the guesswork and that 3 other stakeholders which included Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh should not be kept in the dark while informing that the representatives of the region were sidelined in course of the event.
Dr AK Chisti, further quoting the interlocutor said that the state can’t be disintegrated or broken in response to query raised on the issue of reunification of the Nagas.
“The mind of the Centre is to do something after hearing their complaints. So that they manage their affairs by themselves say in the form of District Councils in the hill areas and not more than that,” Dr Chishti further said quoting the interlocutor.
The GOI interlocutor reportedly expressed GOI’s desire to settle the issue in a peaceful manner by removing age old misunderstandings among the communities in the region to ensure that the people here co-exist as brothers in the natural way, he said.
“He also appealed to us to also reach out to the hill brothers. We also wish that it should be our reciprocal basis,” he continued.
He revealed that the APSCS members told the interlocutor that APSCS’s opinion is not the opinion of all; it is the opinion of their members/association like that of NSCN (IM)’s secretary Muivah who had also represented his organization in various platform.
‘Democratic Norms’ should be followed in matters of registering of public opinions through Representatives or Assembly or Parliament, said the APSCS secretary, claiming that Muivah is not an MLA or an MP.
The Centre should without fail collect views through Assemblies—Nagaland and Manipur for that matter, the APSCS members urged the interlocutor, Dr Chishti said.
Dr Chishti further said that the territorial integrity of the State is not free from threat as there is no full proof as only verbal protection pronouncements were made by the central authorities and the leaders so far.
“What we need is a constitutional protection to end the claim and counter claims over the years,” he said.
“Manipur and other small/tiny states can be disintegrated under the Article 3 of the Constitution of India anytime. There is no constitutional protection at all,” he said.
“If Article 3 is not amended by the Parliament this fear will always loom large,” he added.
APSCS had prayed for amendment of Article 3 by giving valid reason to the Centre and also we remember our State Assembly submitting its resolution to the Centre recently but without no consideration still, he said.
“We appeal to all the MLAs/MPs of Manipur to once again come forward and be with the people (their electorates concerned) and who will be backing to create history.”
“We also appeal to the brothers in the hills of Manipur that based on looks or ethnicity or simply of being tribe terminologically, thinking of joining other family leaving their age old family be reviewed.”
“We should not forget that together we defended our tiny kingdom Manipur from outsides invasions in the past.”
“It will be in the best interest if we co-exist by not turning against each other. Let us forgive and forget all those omissions commissions simply,” he added.