Imphal, January 11: Strongly protesting the totally unfounded and baseless report which appeared on the January 11 edition of The Telegraph (Guwahati edition), members of the All Manipur United Clubs Organization symbolically consigned a copy of the paper to flame this evening.

AMUCO was reacting to the lead news story filed by the Delhi correspondent of the paper, Seema Guha under the headline �Naga leaders raise union cry� and datelined New Delhi, January 10.Referring to the 2001 agitation against the NSCN (IM) ceasefire extension to the soil of Manipur, the report said, �Two years ago, feeling ran high in Manipur, and the Meiteis burnt and looted the properties of the Nagas living in the valley.� History is witness to the fact that no such incident took place during the mass agitation either in June or July, 2001.The United Committee of Manipur (AMUCO was one of the constituent units of the UCM during the agitation) went the extra mile to ensure that no communal overtone was given to the agitation.

The protest was against the extension of the NSCN (IM) ceasefire as well as against the divide and rule policy of the Centre and not against any community.

Speaking to newsmen, NC Khuman, general secretary of AMUCO said that the report in the Telegraph is baseless and without any foundation.

Such reporting is not only communal but also exposes the lack of knowledge of the realities here, he said.

Khuman further said that AMUCO will demand a clarification from the paper and if the clarification does not come then further recourse will be taken up.

Such biased reporting on such a sensitive matter is very unfortunate, he added.

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