TR Zeliang has done it again : Sowing the seeds of divide
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 21 2016 -

Nagaland CM T R Zeliang at 1st Naga Village Authority Conference at Yaikongpao on October 19 2016 :: Pix - Biswarjit Taorem

TR Zeliang, the Chief Minister of Nagaland has done it again.

After ruffling the feather of quite a large number of people during his Lui-Ngai-Ni speech at Ukhrul in February this year, he has done it again while addressing a gathering at the conference of Naga village authorities at Yaikongpao in Sadar Hills.

Nothing wrong in inviting the Chief Minister of the neighbouring State, but when he starts poking his nose into the affairs of Manipur then it is time to draw the line and say a big no.

What right does Mr TR Zeliang have to say that the Nagas of Manipur were never under the Manipur kingdom ?

What point was he trying to deliver by stating this ?

The event was a conference of Naga village authorities and how was it related to the Meitei kingdom of yester years ?

What point was he trying to prove by sowing the seeds of animosity ?

Increasingly it is clear that the Chief Minister of Nagaland will leave no stone unturned to drive the people further apart and this is something which should not be allowed to happen.

What does he know about the history of Manipur ?

A clear reflection that TR Zeliang is not at all a leader but is a man who is more than willing to play to the gallery.

It is also interesting to note the manner in which the name of the village where the event was held was changed from Yaikongpao to Tagaramphung.

Sure the said village may be known by the two names, but this however is an interesting point to note.

More interesting is the point that Senapati district was given as Tahamzam (Senapati) district, South Nagalim.

Wonder how Mr TR Zeliang will react if Kohima is called Thibomei as it was called in the olden days by the Meities ?

Will the Naga civil society organisations accept this ?

More than playing with words and this should more than testify that the demand for a Greater Lim of Nagalim is still being pursued by some from within the Naga society.

This becomes all that more unacceptable when the Chief Minister of a State endorses this and starts poking his nose into the internal affairs of Manipur.

This is what TR Zeliang has been doing.

Drive the people apart as far as possible and while he will remain comfortable in the Chief Minister’s quarters at Kohima, it is the common people here who will have to face the reality.

The Nagaland Chief Minister should come around to the fact that in openly endorsing the demand for a Greater Lim he is sowing the seeds of divide.

Maybe this is the agenda. Sow seeds of divide and divide the people along ethnic line.

No doubt, the divide today is deep, very deep and this is best reflected by the fact that while the red carpet was rolled out for the Nagaland Chief Minister, the proposed visit of Chief Minister O Ibobi to Ukhrul stands boycotted.

Time for all to mull over this and see what steps can be taken up.