….. and now the final settlement between the government of India and the National Socialists’ council of Nagaland (NSCN) lead by Th. Muivah and Issaac Chi Swe is finally at the door. India government earnest effort to solve the problem of ‘the rebel group’, which they consider to be the mother of all insurgency movement in the state has compelled the mainland administrators to finally fulfill some of the demands which will not hurt the interest of the Indian nation.
After engaging in several rounds of talk for over a decade the Indian Government had finally succeeded to divert the conflict between the country and the NSCN-IM to a conflict between the state governments of each North East Indian state with the rebel group. Now the ball has been successfully thrown to the court of Chief Ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The declaration of the cease fire with the NSCN-IM on July 25, 1997 at the floor of Lok Sabha by the then Prime Minister of India, late Inder Kumar Gujaral had already sparked tension among the various communities of the North East India, compelling some of the civil society organizations of the state to take up awareness campaign about the ‘would be’ affects of the cease fire agreement. Four years later, after the declaration of the ceasefire, the extension of the cease fire ‘without territorial limits’ on June 14, 2001, at Bangkok, which was later popularly known as ‘Bangkok declaration’, the simmering tension of the various communities of the state reached to catastrophe. Manipur was nearly turn to ash with almost 60 percent of the people of Imphal coming out to the street of Imphal and pouring their anger to the government set up of the state. Almost all offices of political parties, official quarters of MLAs, Ministers etc were set ablaze by the angry mob. Even the temple of democracy – the assembly secretariat was not spared. It was during this famous uprising in the history of Manipur that a complete change to the peoples’ mandate during the general assembly election was brought.
Later, the political consciousness of the people had elected some of the persons whom the people believed that they would protect the people and the land of this erstwhile kingdom.
Perhaps, it was this strong ‘political will’ to safeguard the territorial integrity of this state that Okram Ibobi Singh was re-elected as the chief minister of Manipur for the three consecutive terms.
Now, the final scene is yet to arrive. Manipur once more burnt or not now remain in the hand of the game planners sitting at Delhi. They had tested by sending CMs of Nagaland and Mizoram to see the respond of the NSCN-IM supporters. Now it is Okam Ibobi Singh’s turn, some strong words needs to be sent to the leaders who are playing with the sentiments of the people. If NSCN-IM can play blockade politics in National Highways, why not Manipur demands its original status of pre 1949.
