The status of ‘Tripartite Talks’

Witoubou Newmai  

If the engaging parties of the ‘tripartite talks’ on the Manipur district creation issue are working to sedate the situation with their insipidity, they are only leaving behind more dirt. As of today, the involving parties—United Naga Council (UNC), the State Government of Manipur and the Central Government----appear to have been made pliant by varied interests, as indicated by the drabness of the ‘tripartite talks’.  

In less than 50 days’ time, the 7 new districts created by the previous State Government of Manipur will turn one year. However, the imbroglio over the issue persists. Rather, in want of boldness, clarity and decisiveness of the parties involved in the ‘tripartite talks’ the issue is seemingly laid to the state of dormancy for future explosion----the situation appears harmonious as of now, and yet prolific in its possibilities for all ugly eventualities.  

Few hours of sitting in two/three months’ time is too little in treating the issue given the nature of the problems. As such, it has become difficult to identify as to who is actually showing seriousness on the issue----United Naga Council (UNC), the State Government of Manipur or the Central Government?   Deep down, even if the present executives of the three parties involved in the ‘tripartite talks’---UNC, the State Government of Manipur and the Central Government--- -may escape the temporary pandemonium for now, the issue will become active again someday, even with more complexities and catastrophic possibilities. Even after knowing these ugly possibilities and not willing to exhibit the will to resolve the issue once and for all is something akin to passing-by landmines without bothering to diffuse them.  

Although there is a multiplicity of interpretations of the issue, the engaging parties cannot shy away from the fact that, by putting the issue to the state of dormancy with endless ‘tripartite talks’ is only reconfiguring the issue to a more compounded situation. Believing in dialogue is an encouraging trend, but, if the prolonging of the talks is actually building up labyrinthine issues, then, it is only nullifying the tenets of dialogue. This, perhaps, is impeding the way forward to resolution of problems.  

The Nagas had signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the State Government of Manipur, wherein the MoU of 1998 states that “resolution to the conflict on the issue of Sadar Hills will be brought about through a consensus of the peoples concerned in the interest of bringing about lasting peace and harmony between the Nagas and Kukis”. The 1998 Memorandum of Understanding agreed to honour the memorandum/agreement entered into 1981, 1992, 1996 and also recognized as the issue of land as the bone of contention between the Kukis and Nagas.  

On March 19, 2017, UNC lifted the 139-day economic blockade imposed on national highways after the Manipur Government “recognised the grievances” of the UNC.  

The terms of agreement of the March 19 talks on the issue says that “the grievances of the UNC which led to the imposition of the economic blockade by them was recognized as there was non-adherence to the four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Government of India’s assurance on the matter.” Two months down the line on May 19, the March 19 agreement was reaffirmed by the parties involved in the tripartite talks.  

The question now is--- when are the engaging parties showing overt and encouraging outcome of the talks?