Manipur: Tripartite talks on districts creation on March 22

Newmai News Network Senapati | March 1   The tripartite talks on the Manipur district creation issue will be held on March 22. Accordingly, the United Naga Council (UNC) has received the formal invitation for the talks from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India in this regard on February 28.   The talks will be held at Senapati district headquarters from 11 am.   The last round of tripartite talks on the district creation issue was held on November 10, 2017 in Senapati district headquarters where the participating parties had decided that the “next round of the talks will be held on February 23, 2018”.   Sources said that there were various factors, including the recently concluded Manipur legislative assembly session, which might be the causes for the deferment of the tripartite talks.   Meanwhile, UNC President Gaidon Kamei informed Newmai News Network late tonight that the Naga people have not changed their position on the issue. He also said that there has been a long gap now between the talks. “We have obliged to the request of the Manipur Government where the latter wanted ‘enough time’ to prepare a ‘final proposal’”, the UNC leader added. According to Gaidon Kamei, the UNC will see the ‘final proposal’ of the Manipur Government on March 22. The UNC chief then cautioned that, in case the Manipur Government tries to employ the dilly-dallying tactics on the issue “then the Naga people will also react accordingly”. He asserted that the Government must exhibit seriousness on the issue.   On February 21, the UNC ‘Executive Meeting’ was held “to review the latest political development and situation in the present Manipur State and the Naga tribal areas” in particular and resolved to state that the Naga people seriously viewed “the formation of the District Boundary Commission back-door policy of the Manipur State government and it is a direct challenge to the sentiment of Naga people”.   According to the UNC, the Naga people had already rejected the formation of the District Boundary Commission in the tripartite talks held on October 6, 2017 at Senapati district headquarters with the Government of India, the Government of Manipur and the United Naga Council.