Newmai News Network
Imphal | July 25
The United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga Women Union Manipur (NWUM), the Naga People Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and All Naga Student Association Manipur (ANSAM) urged the valley NGOs not to interfere in the Nagaland Board School Education affiliation process.
According to the joint statement issued to Newmai News Network this evening signed by UNC president K.S Paul Leo, NWUM president Grace Shatsang, NPMHR (south sector) co-convener S. Phakhami and ANSAM President Paulring Langhu said that the 163 private schools in the “four Naga Hill districts” of Manipur are in the process of getting affiliated to Nagaland Board School Education. “Unfortunately, there are some people/organisations that simply cannot accept the reality. The Hon’ble C.M. of Manipur O. Ibobi Singh is one such”, the statement said.
With regard to the statement made by the Manipur Chief Minister, which stated that, “education is a state subject and that the state government will never agree to such a proposal,” meaning the affiliation of the private schools to NBSE, the Naga NGOs termed it as just a political gimmick to save his chair.
“However, at the back of his mind, O. Ibobi Singh knows it fully well that the decision of the Union Government prevails, on any subject - be it on the state or on the concurrent list. O. Ibobi should not attempt to stifle the democratic aspirations of the minorities by stooping to cheap gimmicks unless he is a mere pawn in the hands of some organizations of the valley community with vested interests”, said the frontal Naga social organisations, adding, “we respect his democratic right to expression, but he should not expect the modern public to be so gullible as to easily believe his lies.”
Further, it stated that the Naga people in the four “Naga Hill districts” of Manipur are just expressing their democratic aspirations by deciding to get affiliated to NBSE wherein they find their cultural expression.
The Naga frontal organizations then asserted that they have always respected the aspirations of other communities and expected that others should reciprocate for it.
The Naga NGOs then directed the social organisations of the valley community such as MAFYF, AMSU, NIPCO and Jiribam Development Council to desist from creating irrational violence to interfere in the NBSE affiliation process.
The Naga NGOs termed the attitude of the valley community based social organisations as “dominant and dictatorial” and added that such attitude cannot prevent reality from taking place - their hue and cry (arson and burning of effigies of Indian leaders) in the Manipur valley will not in anyway halt the affiliation process which is already in full swing.
The Naga NGOs has been silent spectators for too long and time has come to answer the call, concluded the statement.
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