Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei
Tamenglong, March 23 2010:
The Naga frontal organisation and village chiefs of Tamenglong district in their consultative meeting held at ZM school auditorium today has endorsed Naga peace talks and resolved to reject the amendment Manipur District Council Act, 2008 .
A consultative meeting was held today at Tamenglong district HQs under the aegis of United Naga Council where frontal organisations representing United Naga Council, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights, Naga Women Union Manipur, Zeliangrong Interim Body (AMN), Inpui Naga Union, Zeliangrong Students Union Manipur, Inpui Naga Students Union, Zeliangrong Youth Front, several social leaders, All Naga Student Association Manipur, Village Authority Chairmen and various participated the meeting.
In the consultative meeting with the Naga frontal bodies and all those participated resolved and said that "we the undersigned chief/headmen of the under mentioned villages as the custodian of our land, resources, administration and with the mandate of the entire population of our respective villages under Tamenglong district of Manipur on this day 23rd March 2010 at Tamenglong hereby declared the following on the Naga Peace talk which is underway at Delhi, India, we reiterate our support and endorsement to the collective leadership of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim to have political dialogue with the government of India for a negotiable settlement the protracted IndoNaga conflict.
"As the custodian of our custom and tradition, we will preserve and defend our identity, land and history at all cost and our firm political stand is to uphold the aspiration of the Naga people for integration of all Naga areas under one administrative roof and that this must be an integral component of the final negotiated settlement.
That for any settlement which excludes unification of Naga territories will not be honourable nor bring lasting peace', another resolution of the Naga bodies of Tamenglong stated.
"Its our expectation that, the government of India would sincerely demonstrate its political will to resolved the protracted indoNaga conflict through the peace process underway since the last 12 years for an acceptable and honourable settlement to both India and the Nagas', said one of the solution.
The Tamenglong district meeting further has an extensive discussion on imposed legislation, policy and programme that threaten the rights of the people with special reference to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008 .
After a thorough deliberation discussion the Tamenglong consultative meeting unanimously adopted certain decision which said that the Manipur (Hill Areas) district council Act 1971 and the Amended Act 2008 should be rejected in its present form and content, as the said Act does not protect and safeguard the rights of the people.
Another decision stated that the meeting decided to urged the Hill Areas Committee to immediately defer the enforcement of the Act.
Finally, one decision says that the elected representatives should be urged to review the Act.