Dzuko Valley : Manipur integrity and boundary protection

Dr Th Suresh *

The pristine Dzuko Valley ; photo taken sometime in the third week of July 2009

Bravo to our Mao brethren for calling a 24 hour bandh on 23/5/2015 to save Dzuko Valley. Why our political parties not supporting it? After 4 months, Ibobi’s response to set up an inquiry on the eve of the bandh may be treated as the best joke of the year.

The State Government’s inability to protect our own boundary is not new. Forget about the international boundary with Burma where Burma continues illegal occupation of our land in our Kabaw Valley frontier, we are not able to protect our own land with the neibouring state of Nagaland. As a result, Nagaland continues the forcible occupation of our boundary areas day after day in various areas.

Because of the inefficiency of our Government, this process continued uninterrupted by Nagaland and will continue to do so in future also. No doubt, there are disputes in Mao gate, Dzuko Valley, Zesami, Lai and Tungjoi areas. What I am referring to Mao Gate is that we had a TB sanatorium beyond the present Mao Gate, about 1/2 km or so. That definitely belonged to Manipur.

The present article refers to the our Mao Council brethren who called a 24 hr. bandh to protect our land at Dzuko valley. Though the council withdrew the bandh at the last movement, other Mao organisation i.e. Committee for kojiri Dzuko Land Boundary continued the bandh.

Previously, on 8th May, it was reported that Nagaland had diverted a river course towards Nagaland from Manipur side there and constructed a road well 15 km inside Manipur boundary to connect a rest house there. This was done by the Southern Angami Naga People’s Organisation (SANPO).

Senapati District Officials sent a field assessment team there and confirmed the same. The officials sent their report, not only once but twice, in February and April to the State Government for the next course of action. But as expected, there is no response from the Government side.

That is the character our state Government had. The state government remained silent for 4 months. Only on the eve of the bandh, CM Ibobi stated that an inquiry will be set up soon and then the report will be send to the central government. Hence, this may be treated as the best joke of the year.

Our Mao brethren had subsequently submitted a memo to our CM on 7th April 2015, but, as expected again, there was no response from the Government side. A statement from Mao Council on 18th May further stated that, though the Government promised Manipur integrity and boundary from time to time, practically they have done nothing so far for the same except remaining a silent spectator.

What a truth it is! They further appealed to our valley brethren to support the proposed bandh. It is appropriate that the most recognised force, AMUCO & UCM, and many civil organisations supported the bandh. But surprise of surprises is that, majority of our political parties remained silent. That the bandh was a great success was a heartening piece of news.

Previously, there was also a huge and cry after various newspapers reported construction of one guest house by Nagaland on our part. Though the guest house was removed at the last moment after taking up the matter with the Centre, the problem remained.

I often wondered why our state government is remaining silent, what is the difficulty of issuing a press release and state the action /inaction of the Government position.

Is there a hidden agenda that, if some actions are taken, will lead to personal liability of the ministers, bureaucrats and others? This is really puzzling and requires a solution. What is the difficulty of our Government to send our commandos and show to Nagaland that we mean business?

Are our commandos meant only to sell tear gas/ firing to our innocent demonstrators and students? Not only tackling the present crisis, we should reclaim our area up to where our previous TB sanatorium situated.

Our society really requires examining and discussing this attitude of the government seriously. It is time that our more knowledgeable sections speak and act. The more puzzling aspect is the silence of the majority of our political parties.

Dr. M. Manimohan Singh, Sr. Geographer working at GOI Centre’s Directorate, stated in a quiz competition organized by Hericon on 8/4/2012 that the British left Manipur with a sq.km. 23,327. He further stated that the state Govt. had never measured the area of our land; hence we are not sure of the length and breadth of our own land. This is a true statement.

Taking into account the various sectors and combining together, various estimates put our loss in the frontier at least 1,000 sq.km. In the present case, our Naga brethren at Mao are fighting Angami Nagas of Nagaland and there our Zessami brethren are fighting Nagaland Nagas. What more you want for Manipur integrity?

The fight for Manipur integrity and boundary protections should not be confined to the Greater Nagalim only. In tattoo, it should be the position where the British left us on midnight of 14/15th August 1947. This is the historical proposition and undeniable fact. In tandem, we should protect it and preserve it.