Myanmar Nagas reach out to Tangkhul brethren
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, October 09 2016: Nagas from Myanmar have strongly called for the need to strengthen the fraternal bond of all Nagas across the border.

A joint team of Council of Naga Affairs (CNA) and Naga Cultural Committee (Naga Yuya) arrived at Ukhrul and held interactive sessions with members of the Tangkhul Naga Long and UADC separately and maintained that the Nagas were arbitrarily divided by artificial international boundary and discussed various issues and problems of Nagas living at Myanmar.

Calling on UADC chairman Dr Yaronsho Ngalung they talked at length of taking up developmental works through joint ventures.

The team also met the vice president of TNL, Peimi and they discussed various issues for over an hour today.

The Myanmar team were visibly impressed on seeing  the systematic functioning of TNL.

The TNL system of legislation, judiciary and executive based on the Tangkhul customary laws impressed the Nagas from the other side of the border and they opined that all Naga tribes should strengthen customary bodies, which will pave the way for building a strong Naga Nation.

The visiting team had a meeting with another  group of like minded people under the banner Tangkhul for Nagas in Myanmar (TNM) including senior rights activists, student activists including Artax, Alung, Alan Vashum, Dr Achan and some Ukhrul based journalists at CHRSC conference hall on October 6.They expressed gratitude for the warm reception and also for the immediate response to the call of Myanmar Nagas after the outbreak of measles which infected many children, some time back.

During the discussion, they highlighted the untold miseries of the Nagas in Myanmar and the plight of the people living in Lahe and Nangyung township under Naga self administered zone, Myanmar.

On the outbreak of measles some time back they said that children of about fifteen villages were infected.

These villages have no road connectivity or network access.

Even though measles is claimed to have been contained yet the children are suffering from malnutrition, they said.

The team mentioned that every year during monsoon season epidemic breaks out and to top this they also face food shortage.The villagers still rely on yam, tapioca, rye, bamboo shoot etc.

The people living in these remote villages still live in miserable condition and poor sanitation as they live together with their domesticated animals.

Another big challenge before the Nagas in Myanmar is human resource development.

The TNM team assured that relief materials including necessary nutritional food, clothing etc will be sent at the earliest.

Rights activist Artax advised them to form Naga Human Rights groups to bring their issues to the international forum.

The visiting Naga team also invited the Tangkhul community to attend the Naga new year festival to be held next year at Lahe township, Myanmar.

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