Imphal, April 23: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE), Manipur has expressed profound concern on the escalating violence among the "indigenous and tribal peoples in the Eastern Himalayan territories of India".

Co-ordinator of the committee Kinderson Pamei and its convenor Bikram Lairenlakpam while issuing a statement to Newmai News Network said that the reported attack and torching of certain "colonies" belonging to one "indigenous community" by some groups on Sunday at Dimapur, Nagaland was one more unfortunate instance reflecting the conflict that is characterised by unrestrained public hostilities fuelled by narrow political agendas of a leadership that seriously needs review by all responsible civil societies in this region.

"It has been widely reported that though the incident was apparently ignited by the beating of an autotaxi driver, it instantly transformed into a tragic communal fuel that has resulted in a state of terror, with over 200 families particularly the women and children being forced to flee and seek shelter, and the irrecoverable loss of homes and properties", lamented the CORE, adding, "it is apparent that the mere beating of a taxi driver could not ignite a violent reaction that is so nakedly communal in character and in a completely insane proportion that we have witnessed in Dimapur unless there is more than merely meets the eye.

What exactly triggered this response may be traced, without prejudice, to a long series of actions, allegations, positions, threats and provokingor punitive exercises by various interest groups and/or individuals.

Ever since the ceasefire between the Indian Government and one of the factions of the Naga peoples' armed opposition groups led to peacetalks, over the past decade, we have witnessed one consistent factor.

That factor is that armed clashes and vendetta-like hostilities, including assassinations, kidnappings and other forms of physical violence between different armed groups and certain indigenous communities seems to remain a common character of this uneasy truce in Nagaland".

The committee then said that during the recent months, a quit notice was served and reserved by a group against one indigenous community, leading to a great deal of public concern and debate including various calls for restraint and reconciliation.

All these public voices seem to have not only fallen on deaf ears but the whisper propaganda campaigns and racially discriminatory public remarks have gone on unabated.

CORE had made a public press release (dated 30 August 2006), in response to this most damaging trend we are seeing in our region, urging for peaceful reconciliation and co-existence, reminded the committee.

CORE reiterates that every human being is entitled to a life of dignity.

CORE also appeals for restraint from coercive activities to propagate one's own narrow, even extreme, agenda and interest.

We call upon all right thinking people to come out of ghetto living, fortress mentality and to shoulder the responsibility of indigenous peoples collectively and to make a corrective measures to contain the racist and communal political agenda that has been introduced within our communities.

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