UNC sees red, questions New Delhi's sincerity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 22 2010: Taking strong exception to the reported statement made by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the Lok Sabha on August 19 that "..no question of altering the integrity of the State of Manipur", the United Naga Council (UNC) asserted that as Chidambaram represented the Government of India in the Lok Sabha, he must bear full responsibility and liability for his statement.

While the Government of India is free to use its options in governing the country by taking into account the consequences, its actions must be fair, rational and accompanied with due protocol, the UNC said in a press release.

The Indo-Naga peace talks which is based on the three principles�� at Prime Ministers level, third country and without pre-conditions, have been going on for the last 13 years with none of the parties negating these principles.

As such, the Home Minister must bear full responsibility for imposing the condition of the territorial integrity of Manipur on the peace talk.

Naga womenfolk come out on the street to put across their demand-Greater Lim-File pic

Stating that the prestige and sincerity of the Government of India has been put to question by the Home Minister's statement, the UNC asked if New Delhi has been fooling the Naga people and the whole world all these years.

"It is now being made clear that the Government of India never intended to keep its word right from the beginning as far as peace talks are concerned' the UNC charged.

Reminding that Articles 3 and 4 of the Indian Constitution provide for increasing or altering boundary of any State, the UNC accused Chidambaram of going against the Constitution by unilaterally declaring "it will be inconceivable that we break up the States".

Such statement of the Home Minister would only provoke and stir violence and expose the discrimination and insincerity towards the Nagas and hill tribes of Manipur.

The Home Minister characterised an ideology which was hell bent on legalizing 'might is right', the UNC alleged.

Alleging that such conceited attitude and powermongering politics has been the cornerstone of Indian politicians towards the North East, the UNC decried that Chidambaram has undone all efforts to build understanding between the Nagas and the Indian Government; and with one swipe, he has caused more alienation and mistrust.

Manipur may be pluralistic in demography, but is communal in structure and oppressive in character.

"What Mr Chidambaram must understand is that Nagas are not trying to break up Manipur State.

The Nagas of Manipur simply do not want to be part of a State that is built on an ideology of force, communalism and oppression", it iterated.

Comparing the socio-political structure of Manipur to pyramid, the UNC asserted that all development activities, funds, educational institutions, medical facilities, market infrastructure, sports complexes, everything is located in the valley area when nothing percolates down to the Nagas who are at the bottom of the 'pyramid'.

In every economic blockade, the worst hit are the hill people, not the Meiteis of the valley but the rest of the country seemed to realise that the hill areas are inhabited only when economic blockade was called on NH 39 and NH 53, the UNC said.

Keeping in view the Home Minister's statement, the UNC sought a confirmation from the Government of India whether it seeks peace sincerely or prefer treachery and lies to suppress rights of the indigenous tribes and alienate them from their land and resources to the advantage of majority advanced communities in the neighbourhood.

"As for the Nagas in Manipur, we declare that Mr P Chidambaram does not have the final say on the Nagas and their future.

It is for us the Nagas in Manipur to decide our future and this will be done by the severance of all ties with the Manipur Government", added the UNC.