United Naga Council Statement on 12th February 2017

Tahamzam, 12th February, 2017

It has been considered necessary to place the views of the Naga people Manipur on the recommendation of Mr Ibobi and the CLP, Manipur to the Central Government to declare the UNC as an unlawful organization.

The United Naga Council is the apex tribe based organization of the Nagas in Manipur. Land is vital to the identity, culture and traditional practice and values of the Naga people. Every Naga in Manipur is a member through the tribes, villages, clans and families. If the UNC is unlawful so then is the entire Naga population.

The 11th February recommendation once again demonstrates that the Congress Legislature Party under the leadership of Mr Ibobi is communal and exclusive in spite of claiming to be running the Government for the entire state.

If the UNC is unlawful, why did the Government of Manipur(GoM) run by the CLP have a tripartite talk with the UNC and the Government of India on the 3rd February, 2017 at Delhi and therein schedule the 25th March, 2017 for the next round of talk.

The recommendation has labeled the UNC as anti-people. Mr Ibobi has stated that land belongs to the State Government. But the MLR&LR Act of 1960 does not extend to the hill areas and protects the ownership of the tribals over their ancestral land. Disregarding the 4 MOUs signed with various Naga organizations and assurance given by the Government of India to consult the stakeholders/land owners, Mr. Ibobi and the CLP decides to draw lines across the tribal lands on the pretext of administrative convenience, dividing people, alienating people from their lands, affecting relationships, affecting situations and opportunities of the land owners. Mr Ibobi did not even condescend to consult the Hill Area Committee as enjoined by the constitution.

Mr Ibobi is a Chief Minister of a state under the constitution of India. The CLP is the ruling party of that state. Mr Ibobi violates MOUs and the assurance given, he violates the constitution and violated the tribal ownership of land. Mr Ibobi has arrested UNC leaders instead of addressing the issues raised by the protest.

Mr Ibobi has tortured and administered electric shocks to the UNC leaders as if they were common criminals. He refuses to discuss the core issue of arbitrary declaration of seven new districts in the 3rd February tripartite talk on the excuse of the code of conduct having come into effect and while the same code of conduct is in effect, He and the CLP recommends that UNC be declared unlawful.

There is much more. Mr Ibobi has transferred tribal hill areas which are under the district councils to the Panchayati Raj. Under Mr Ibobi’s rule 1528 persons have died in extra judicial killings. Organisations which have burnt down the State Assembly and the Indian National Flag on 18th June, 2001 have not been declared unlawful but instead the arsonists and rioters were declared martyrs. It goes on endlessly.

Mr Ibobi and the CLP has created havoc in the land and the lives of the people. He defines what is lawful and unlawful and has done whatever he wants. He is really powerful. But where and how does the people live with dignity and honour in such a lawless situation.

It is for the entire people in the state of Manipur, the Government of India and the world to decide the lawfulness of Mr. Ibobi and the CLP and the unlawfulness of the people whose rights are being trampled through brute force, domineering majority, legalities and declarations.

( S. MILAN )
General Secretary
United Naga Council