Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, Jun 22:
The Naga delegation met Union Ministers Oscar Fernandes and Shivraj Patel yesterday in New Delhi which the delegation described as a historic event.
The delegation of the "Naga Hill areas of Manipur state" have met Shivraj Patel, Minister of Home Affairs and Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State (Independent Charge) to hand over Hill House Tax�2006 of Rs.14,23,425 of 94894 Naga households living in Manipur.
"This historic meeting is part of the mission of the Naga people under the banner of the United Naga Council (UNC) to uphold its November 4, 2005 Naga People's convention (NPC) Declaration at Taphou village Tahamzam that resolved to launch Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements against the Govt of Manipur while urging the Govt of India to demonstrate their political will to resolve the Indo-Naga issue by carrying forward the peaceprocess to an acceptable and honourable settlement at all cost" said the statement signed by UNC gen secy Azang Longmei and NWUM president Grace Satshang.
The Naga bodies said the non-cooperation movement includes five (5) point resolutions which were resolved in the backdrop of the organized violence and communal campaign by the dominant valley community against the Nagas and the sanctioning and glorification of the same by the Govt of Manipur.
The anti-ceasefire agitation against the June 14 Bangkok Agreement, 2001 subsequent declaration of June 18 as Manipur's "State Integrity Day" are unique examples of intolerance shown by the valley community and the State Govt to undermine and erase the rights and aspirations of the Nagas.
The reaction of the valley community of Manipur and the State Govt is clearly an attempt to disrupt the hard-earned current Indo-Naga peace process, which is disrespectful of the Central Govt's peace initiative itself, it said.
It then stated that ANSAM in support of the UNC's resolutions has already sought for the affiliation of schools and colleges in the Naga districts of Manipur to the Nagaland Board of School Education and the Nagland University ANSAM has surrendered the prescribed textbooks of the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BSEM) beginning from Class VIII X in the first phase.
Altogether 156 private schools have started introducing the NBSE's prescribed syllabus from the academic session 2006.The Naga people's assertion for unification of their homeland is not of recent origin but it is an inherent right and organized forms of expression of this rights dates back to the time of British India.