Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, April 15 2010:
The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga frontal organisation in Manipur, has threatened to take up drastic forms of agitation against the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 2008 .
The UNC also urged all Naga organisation executives and Naga populace not to participate in the ADC elections which have been slated for May 17 and 24 .
It further called upon the Nagas to extend full support to the ongoing 6-day long economic blockade sponsored by ANSAM against the ADC Act of 2008 .
This decision of the UNC was taken on April 13 during a meeting held at Senapati wherein one of the resolutions affirmed, "We will intensify the agitation until the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 is nullified".
other decisions of the UNC meet included instruction to all the Naga organisations' executives and the Naga public to abide by the decision of the consultative meetings and refrain from participating in the ensuing ADC elections which would be held under the Act that the Naga people have rejected and to extend fullest support to the economic blockade imposed by ANSAM, democratically protesting the inaction of the HAC members of Manipur Legislative Assembly and their inability to defer the election and review the Act as per the people's demand.
"In the backdrop of imposition of Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 and the process of conducting the ADC elections in the hill districts of Manipur, the UNC held an emergency presidential council meeting on April 13 at Senapati.
"The meeting discussed and reviewed the recent series of consultative meetings of the Naga people viz, customary practice and traditional system of Land and Natural Resource management with relation to Forest Act 1927; the Manipur (Hill Areas) village Authority Act 1956; Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act 1960; International legal Instruments protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Imposed Legislation, Policy and Programme that threatens the Rights of the Tribal People with reference to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008," said a UNC source.
The meeting also recalled the symbolic actions of rejecting the Act by consigning to flame, copy of Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 on April 5, 2010 and imposing a 12-hour chakka bandh in the hill districts of Manipur on April 14, 2010, the UNC source maintained.
"We have also taken a resolution to re-affirm and implement the decisions of the consultative meetings held at Ukhrul, Taphou Naga village, Tadubi, Kangshang, Chandel and Tamenglong recently," it added.