Response to Jt. Secretary, North East, Ministry of Home Affairs by UNC

Tahamzam, 20th January, 2014

In response to the statement of the Jt. Secretary, North East, Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) made in an interview to a Delhi news network, featured in some newspapers in the 20th January, 2014 edition, the position of the United Naga Council(UNC) is being placed to set the record straight.

The Republic day is not being boycotted. A peaceful abstention from participating in the Republic Day has been called by the UNC besides other civil actions to demonstrate the displeasure of the Nagas in Manipur over the wilful insult to the Naga people and to the democratic process of dialogue which we have upheld with respect and to press for immediate intervention of the GoI with alternative arrangement.

In the last talk which took place at Delhi on 30th August, 2013 it was agreed that the next round of tripartite talk of the Government of India(GoI), Government of Manipur(GoM) & UNC would be held within the “outer limit” of 2 months. This has not happened notwithstanding reminder communication dated 29th October, 2013 to the GOI and press statements on the matter issued on subsequent dates of 18/11/2013, 6/12/2013 and 10/12/2013 and also two occasions of limited bandhs of 48 hours.

The GoM has misled and wrongly influenced the GoI to suppress democratic rights and the people’s movement for securing their political aspiration. It is the GOI which has initiated the dialogue process. But GOI does not respond nor communicate, and leaves the process in a limbo, ignoring the fact that the democratic process of dialogue should be treated with respect and upheld with care. Instead, there is sinister design to sabotage the peaceful and democratic dialogue process by criminalising the people’s movement for securing their political aspiration.

To register our protest against the provocative statement of the Jt. Secretary, MHA, the civil action of a peaceful rally scheduled to be held in all Naga District HQs on the 23rd January, 2014 has been cancelled and would be replaced by a total 12 hours shut down from 6 AM to 6 PM on the same day ie 23rd January, 2014.

At this critical moment, we appeal to our people to stand up unitedly in one accord and to effectively observe the total bandh in their respective jurisdictions. Any individual who wilfully defies the bandh would be doing so at their own risk.

Publicity Wing
United Naga Council.