SENAPATI | Nov 10: In today’s round of tripartite talks, the UNC has urged the state government to come with a “concrete proposal” on the district creation issue by the next round of talks which has been scheduled for February 23, 2018.
Another notable development in today’s talks on the district creation issue is that the state government “will issue advisory to concerned authorities to ease out problems faced by the general public subsequent” after the new districts were created. However, the parties involved in the talks did not divulge the precise point of the latter line.
Sources said that today’s tripartite talks were marred by charges from the UNC leaders on the state government representatives as the Naga leaders even threatened to quit the talks altogether. The UNC leaders demanded from the State government to roll back the new districts before December 8, 2017.
It may be recalled that then Ibobi Singh government declared the creation of seven new districts on December 8, 2016.
The Sources continued that today’s talks which began at 12:30 pm at DRDA conference hall, Senapati headquarters. During the talk the UNC representatives questioned as to why the state government took too long to roll back the new district created a year ago.
The UNC team was determined that the state government must rolls back the new districts by December 8, 2017. Following this fiery attacks from the Naga leaders, the State government representatives requested the former to give them some time so that they could prepare a “concrete proposal” after holding consultation with stakeholders.
Hangkhanlian, minister, agriculture, veterinary and animal husbandry, government of Manipur, N. Kayisii, minister, tribal and hill areas development and fisheries, Manipur and Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, minister, education and labour and employment, Manipur, J Suresh Babu, additional chief secretary, government of Manipur, K. Radhakumar Singh, Commissioner (Works) government of Manipur represented the State government.
The sources also said that the UNC leaders asked the state government representatives whether they have mistaken the talks for a ‘departmental meeting’. “We told the state government representatives to understand that this is a political talk”, said the UNC leaders. The UNC leaders also told the state government representatives not to come to tell their difficulties in the tripartite talks. “We told them that we are not here to listen to their difficulties. If they have no political will then there is no point continuing the talks,” added the UNC leader.
Gaidon Kamei, President, United Naga Council (UNC), S. Milan, general secretary, UNC, James Inka, general secretary, All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), Asha Wungnam, president, Naga Women’s Union, L Adani, advisor, UNC, KS Paul Leo, former president of UNC, Samson Remei, former president, UNC, Weapon Zimik, president, Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), Poupoklung Kamei, president, Zeliangrong Badi (M), Robert Lamkang, president, Chandel Naga Peoples Organisation (CNPO), Rockson Shimray (UNC), AC Thotso (ANSAM), SK Stephen (UNC), Gabriel Chinir (UNC), T Moses Kamba, president, Naga Peoples’ Organisation (NPO) represented the UNC team.
As usual, today’s event was chaired by Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
It is worth mentioning here that today’s event was the fifth one. The first one was held on March 19, and the second one on May 19, the third talks on August 11 and the fourth one on October 6.
