IMPHAL, AUGUST 6 (NNN): The Liangmai Naga Council (LNC) has constituted a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to protect its ancestral land on July 29.
According to LNC, its decision has been prompted by the "series of highly provoking claims made by Nepalese nationals on Liangmai Naga ancestral land." The statement of LNC said that it had convened an emergency meeting on July 29, 2016 at Bena Tababang (Thonglang Akutpa) village community Hhall.
"To effectively counter the attack on its tribal identity and history, the apex body of Liangmai Naga tribe had constituted Joint Action Committee for Protecting Liangmai Ancestral Land (JACPLAL) with T. Disimang and Timothy Wijunamai as its Convenor and Secretary respectively and the Chairmen of every Liangmai village as its members. The meeting had empowered the JAC to ferociously defend Liangmai Naga identity and territorial integrity from any foreign threat," the LNC press note said.
According to the LNC, after a lengthy marathon, the house outrightly rejected and ridiculed the "so-called" United Gorkha Committee, Manipur and its "illegitimate" demand for a native status in Manipur and village administrative rights in Liangmai Naga hill areas.
The meeting then unanimously resolved to "fight" till the end against any group or "unjust state decisions" that has the potential to undermine their rights upon their ancestral land. "Resource persons reiterated that no group or government has the authority to allocate any part of Liangmai Naga ancestral land for whatsoever reason without the informed consent of the Liangmais under its unique customary land holding system," it added.
The meeting then empowered the JAC to address the issue. "The collective of chairmen present had expressed a warning note that the Liangmai community's good gesture in allowing the Nepali community to live in their land on payment of negligible amount of annual tax should not be construed as weakness. The affected villagers and landowners had also stated their resolve to fight tooth and nail against the irreverent claim of land ownership by the foreigner Nepalese. Special mention could be made that the agitated Liangmai people, through the Liangmai Naga Council (M) have also resolved to take befitting action against UGCM as per the customary law for publicly undermining and belittling their customary apex body and its age-old honour in their press statements," the LNC stated.
Meanwhile, the newly founded JAC of the Liangmai community had expressed its appreciation towards the prudent decision of the Manipur Gorkha Welfare Union (MGWU) in denouncing and disowning the claim made by UGCM as the apex body of the Nepalese and their demands. "The MGWU is the recognized apex body of the Nepalese staying in Manipur and the JAC had warned that it was a serious blunder on the part of the state Government to entertain random, self-acclaimed body like the 'UGCM'. The Government of Manipur will be held responsible for sowing the seed of division within and outside the otherwise peaceful nepali community in this regard", the LNC added.
The JAC then briefed the house that highly provoking claims made by the UGCM had already created chaos and tension between the landowners and the Nepali tenants in the Liangmai Naga areas. It had assured the gathering that it will expose the fact that UGCM is a bogus body created with mischievous intent and was formed without the common Nepali people’s mandate.
