IT News
Imphal, Aug 10:
Union of Associations of Manipur Writers has submitted a memorandum to the President of India, , Prime Minister, Home Minister, Governor of Manipur and Chief Minister of Manipur addressing the grievances of the people of the state due to the unsettled dispute between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM.
The memorandum stated that the present socio-political-cultural crisis in Manipur, India, is created by the ill reputed Indo-Naga Framework of Agreement and the ensuing Indo-Naga Peace Accord, which is now going on in India between the Government of India, (henceforth will be termed GOI) and the so called Nagas, the spill-over of which are damaging the state of Manipur, India in dimensions of its ancient, natural, original and political boundaries, its demography, its socio-economic and cultural spheres.
On the other hand the repeated whiplash has visited in Manipur hurting and burning the hearts of the populace of Manipur as an extra destroyer of the physical physiognomy and mental consistency of Manipuri people in the midst of this worldwide pandemic outbreak of Covid-19 as we have heard that the Indo-Naga Peace Accord may finally conclude with agreed political terms and conditions before the 15 August 2020.
The forum asked what new clauses and amendments of the constitution of India are coming forth from these agreements. The GOI might think this is secrecy of the government and its policies.
The Union of Associations of Manipur Writers – UAMW (Manipurgi Ayiba Lupsingi Apunba Lup – MALAL), Imphal, Manipur along with the many social, political, economical and cultural organizations of Manipur, India, questions the following in connection with the talk :
1. Procedure of the talks going on
Why an interlocutor? Who is this interlocutor? How much of credibility, intellectuality, wisdom, diplomacy and statesmanship does he possess? Why so secretive in these days of democracy? Is there some hidden agenda to destroy the age-old Manipur with its history of more than 2000 years of an independent kingdom, with this treacherous strategy of further Balkanization of this small state?
2. Condemnable procedure
GOI says they will discuss with the stake holders after the final completion of the talks. Is the procedure not like ‘putting the cart before the bullocks?’ And what detailed and genuine matters can the stakeholders put forth in a meeting of one-two hours later after the finalisation of the agreements? The so-called talks have damaged peace, political and social security in Manipur. The Naga revolution has been torturing the people of Manipur for the last 5 to 6 decades, with damages in terms of the state’s communications, socio-economic conditions, education, illegal levy of taxes and extortions so on and so forth. GOI instead of realizing the facts are appeasing these problem creators, the wild ferocious animals who have been penalising the silent lambs of Manipur. And GOI does not show any sympathy to the peace loving people of Manipur.
Matters on our side
We demand that the GOI should define what and who the Nagas are before they picked any talks. The GOI had already chartered what Nagas are, and had carved out a state called Nagaland from Assam of India as a land for the Nagas in 1963. Who are these new groups of people who call themselves Nagas and demand further a new independent country or a greater Nagaland or Nagalim or whatever. We demand that political (not from the ruling party) and CSO members of Manipur should be included in the final round of talks and agreements.
The UNO and Security Council in India
The UNO is supposed to look after the indigenous people of the world whereas the UNIPO is hardly doing anything in these matters. If the UNO are not going to tackle the matter on the plea that it is not an international matter, which they might say so, we demand that the GOI should hand over the matter to a body or council with a name like Peace and Security Council of India constituted of 7 to 9 permanent members of the leading states of India e.g., Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, UP and the states of the North East India for this present constitutional crisis. If the GOI is unable to come to a final conclusion, the matter should be referred to and handed over to such a council to be created for a term of every 5 years or so.
Background of Manipur’s Political Position and the Naga Political Crisis
Manipur, although a small country, had been an independent country with a powerful Kingship with a history of more than 2000 years of its own ancient origin in a region between South Asia and South East Asia. Enough damage had been done to Manipur by the invasion of the British Colonisers in Manipur during 18911947. We had a short span of easy breathing up to 1949; after which we were made to feel that India substituted the British Colonising Government with late Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s strong hand and forced annexation of Mnaipur under no proper political dialogue in October 1949. The people of the Ukhrul District of Manipur were and still are Tangkhuls. They began to call themselves Nagas since early 1970. If Nagas, they were the Royal Nagas because their Chiefs were close friends of the Kings of Manipur and they were in close touch with the rest of the people of Manipur, whereas historically the Nagas of Nagaland had hardly anything to do in the history of Assam, as they were not in the status of what the Tangkhuls of Mnaipur were and are. In Manipur two Tangkhuls had become Chief Ministers, Yangmasho Shaija and Rishang Keishing, the evidence that Manipur was and is a purely democratic land.
Now that the Nagas of Nagaland became well nurtured people loved by India, the Tangkhuls felt left out and they too joined in the ongoing movements of the Nagas. Even at present we have seen evidences in the Naga political scenario that the Nagas of Nagaland do not like a situation where the Tangkhuls of Manipur come to be the political stalwarts in Naga political forum.
