The great Lim divide : Strong statement from CM
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 18 2018 -

Chief Minister N Biren has made his stand clear. Or rather he has made the stand of Manipur clear to all concerned.

Will take ‘extreme’ steps if Naga deal hurts the interests of Manipur.

A one line statement given in an exclusive interview to the Hindustan Times and this about says it all though N Biren did not specify what that extreme step would be.

Not surprisingly the assertion of the Chief Minister has not gone down well with the State unit of the Naga People’s Front and what is interesting is the point that the NPF is part of the coalition Government led by the BJP.

Significant to note too that the reaction did not come from the parent NPF based at Nagaland but from the Manipur unit of the party.

Not that this will rock the coalition Government, but here lies the contradictory political stand of two bodies within a coalition Government.

The Sangai Express has refrained from stating two political parties for the last word is yet to be said and no one knows how the BJP led Government at New Delhi will take to the major demands of the NSCN (IM).

And as things stand today the major demands of the NSCN (IM) are largely seen to be against the interest of Manipur and her people and this is where the most difficult part of the negotiation lies.

So from territorial integrity of the State today it has gone to cover other aspects such as dual administration, such as greater autonomy for Naga inhabited or dominated areas.

This is the complex part, and while it has not been spelt out what would be acceptable to Manipur, it stands that something has to be given to the NSCN (IM) or else the negotiation that has been on since the cease fire pact was signed more than twenty years back may not see a conclusive pact.

The United Naga Council too has struck a stand similar to that of the NPF but went ahead to liken the posture of the Chief Minister to ‘working against the Naga peace process.’

If standing by the interest of Manipur or Manipur as a geo-political reality is seen as working against the Naga peace process, then can it be said that the Naga peace process is against the existence of Manipur as a geo-political reality ?

Two diametrically opposing stand, but central to both is Manipur and this is a point that should not be lost on anyone.

Batting for Manipur should not be taken as standing against the peace process and this is the bottomline.

Manipur has already experienced the many ugly side of the great Lim divide and surely no one would like to see a repeat of the ugly incidents of the past.

Apart from Manipur, two other States, that is Assam and Arunachal Pradesh too have made it clear that the peace process between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India should not disturb them in any way and New Delhi should not lose sight of this reality.

At the same time it should also be acknowledged that the top leadership of the NSCN (IM) has been able to take the Naga people, specially the Nagas of Manipur, along with them and herein lies its leadership quality.

Unfortunate it is but in taking the Naga people along with them, they have managed to identify Manipur as the chief impediment to a final solution.