Casting the shadow of the Lim demand : Date on October 19
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 13 2016 -

Present State of Manipur. South Nagalim. Separate administration for the hills and valley.

Not clear on the finer details of the Framework Agreement but more than obvious that the demand for a Nagalim or a Greater Nagaland is still very much alive and kicking and this is a point which has been trumpeted on more than one occasion by numerous Naga civil society organisations.

It is in line with this that the first conference of the Naga Village Authority of South Nagalim has been convened on October 19 at Tagaramphung village near Senapati district headquarters.

Early to say how the conference will proceed but as per their announcement, the meet will centre around the Framework Agreement signed between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India last year and hence more than likely that it will centre around the demand for a Greater Lim.

The Government of India may keep on assuring Manipur and the neighbouring States such as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh that not an inch of their territories will be compromised while striking a final deal with the NSCN (IM) but it stands that the threat perception to the territorial integrity of these States still stands.

It is this which the Congress has been using to whip the BJP here ahead of the Assembly election scheduled to be held sometime in the early part of next year.

Just how important this is to the people of Manipur can be seen in the manner in which all major political parties have taken this issue as the rallying point in the run up to the Assembly election.

Now with the BJP coming to power at Assam and having a Government at Arunachal Pradesh which is close to the BJP, the question is what is the stand of these two State Governments ?

Remember when the Congress was in power at Assam, Tarun Gogoi had openly spoken out on how the other North East States were not taken into confidence while signing the Framework Agreement ?

So what is the official stand of the Government at Assam and Arunachal Pradesh now ?

This question is important for remember one is talking about the territorial integrity of these States.

What is the official stand of the BJP on this issue in Manipur ?

Have they been taken into confidence by New Delhi and kept in the loop on the progress of the political negotiation between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India after the Framework Agreement was signed ?

Not likely but the people in Manipur would surely like to know. October 19 will surely be an important date to the Naga people of Manipur and what makes things all that more interesting is the fact that Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has been invited to be the chief guest of the scheduled conference while all political leaders of Manipur have been overlooked.

What transpires on this date will be watched minutely by the people of Manipur and not without reasons.