IT News
Imphal, Aug 25:
United Committee Manipur (UCM), an apex civil society organisation body in Manipur, has “appealed the government of India that if the final peace agreement with NSCN IM concerns Manipur then the people of Manipur must be consulted before any final settlement.” The civil society organisation claims that “till now the opinion of the people of Manipur, which includes different communities living in Manipur, has not been heard. So, it is a necessity that their opinion be heard before any settlement if the agreement involves any changes in Manipur. It would be unacceptable to the people of Manipur if the settle takes place and people of Manipur are informed later.”
UCM also reminded that after popular mass uprising in 2001, government of India removed the phrase “without territorial limit” from the agreement which it signed with NSCN IM. It says that “the then Governor of Manipur, Ved Maruah and Home Minister LK Advani, informed the people of Manipur that the cease fire agreement is confined only in Nagaland at that time. In the Framework of Agreement which Government of India signed with NSCN IM, as it has been made public by NSCN IM now, what is mentioned is Nagaland and not Manipur.” As a part of the peace process, India government has agreement with NNC and NSCM IM , these agreements only discuss Nagaland. There is no mention of Manipur. Given all these matter, UCM says that if the plan of the final settlement concerns Manipur in anyway, it should be informed to the people of Manipur so that people of Manipur have a say on the matter.
UCM appeals to the Government of India that it should clarify what it means when it says Naga’s have a unique history. “The unique history of Naga, which GOI has mentioned time and again, must be explained to the people of Manipur,” according to UCM. It further states that any attempt to harm the territorial integrity and unity of Manipur would have serious consequences. It appealed the “state government should take strong steps to protect the interest of the state of Manipur, otherwise there is no point of having a government in the state.”
