Dimapur, August 22 (MExN): The United Naga Council (UNC) has taken very strong exception to the statement reported to have been made by Mr. P. Chidambaram, the Union Home Minister in the Lok Sabha on 19th August, 2010 that there is “no question of altering the integrity of the State of Manipur.” A press note issued by the UNC stated that Mr. P Chidambaram does not have the final say on the Nagas and their future and that it was for the Nagas in Manipur to decide their future and this will be done by the severance of all ties with the Manipur Government.
While stating that the Government of India (GoI) was free to use its options in governing the country by taking into account the consequences, the UNC nevertheless pointed out that its actions must be fair, rational and accompanied with due protocol. “The GoI cannot be wrong and as Mr Chidambaram represented the GoI in the Lok Sabha, he must bear full responsibility and liability for his statement”, the UNC stated.
Reminding that the ceasefire declaration and the Indo Naga peace talks were being held at the Prime Ministers level, in a third country and without pre-conditions, the UNC stated that the principles of the “three point guidelines have not been negated with a ceasefire call off or withdrawal from the peace talk by any of the parties”. According to the UNC the peace talks have been going on for the last 13 years for all the world to see and therefore Mr Chidambaram “must bear full responsibility for imposing the condition of the territorial integrity of Manipur on the peace talk”.
“The prestige and sincerity of the GoI has been put to question by Mr. Chidambaram’s statement. Or has the GoI been fooling the Naga People and the whole world all these years. Is it now being made clear that the GOI never intended to keep its word right from the beginning as far as peace talks are concerned?” the UNC queried.
Arguing that Article 3 and 4 of the Indian Constitution provided for increasing or altering the boundary of any state, the UNC stated that although admitting that Nagas are there in Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mr. Chidambaram had gone against the Constitution by unilaterally declaring that it will “be inconceivable that we break up the states.”
Stating that India was a democracy of the people, by the people for the people, the UNC termed as “undesirable” that the Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram had made a mockery of this basic democratic principle. “Such statement only provokes and stirs violence and exposes the discrimination and insincerity towards the Nagas and the hill tribes of Manipur”, the UNC stated while adding that the Indian Home Minister “characterizes an ideology which is hell-bent on legalizing might is right”. “This conceited attitude and power-mongering politics has been the cornerstone of Indian politicians towards the Northeast”.
Pointing out that Mr. Chidambaram “has undone all efforts to build understanding between the Nagas and the Indian government”, the UNC stated that with one swipe, he has caused more alienation and mistrust. “Manipur, a state that acquired full state status on January 21, 1972 may be pluralistic in demography, but is communal in structure and oppressive in character. This dogma is what Mr. Chidambaram wants to protect, at the cost of the rights and dignity of the Hill Tribes of Manipur”.
Stating that the Meiteis have been neighbours in the past and will continue to be our neighbors in the future, the UNC pointed out that what Mr. Chidambaram must understand was that Nagas are not trying to break up Manipur state. “The Nagas of Manipur just simply do not want to be part of a state that is built on an ideology of force, communalism and oppression”.
The UNC also stated that the “socio political structure in the state of Manipur is built like a Pyramid”. In this, “the valley area of the state (10% landmass with 70% population) stands right at the top. All development activities, funds, educational institutions, medical facilities, market infrastructure, sports complexes, everything is located in the valley area, the top of the pyramid and nothing percolates down to the Nagas who are at the bottom”.
Stating that it was as though the hills areas are called part of Manipur just because two lifelines passes through Naga territory, the UNC pointed out that these lifelines feed the whole of Manipur state and not only Imphal. “In every economic blockade the worst hit are not the Meitei people of the valley but the hill people of the six hill districts. The rest of the country realizes that the hill areas are inhabited only when economic blockade is called on the two highways NH 39 & 53”.
The UNC as such stated that the GoI must therefore “confirm whether it seeks peace sincerely or prefer treachery and lies to suppress the rights of the oppressed indigenous tribal and alienate them from their land and resources to the advantage of majority advanced communities in the neighbourhood in the light of what has been stated by its Home Minister on the floor of the Lok Sabha on 19th August 2010”.
