TR Zeliang urges Ibobi not to make undue speculations

Kohima, October 21 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has urged his Manipur counterpart O. Ibobi not to make undue speculations.  

The Manipur Chief Minister had on Thursday alleged that Zeliang, while delivering speech at a function in Senapati district on October 19, attempted to incite hatred among the different communities of Manipur.  

“Ibobi seems to have more than jumped the gun and had gone ahead to perceive apparitions where there were none,” a rejoinder from the Media Cell, Chief Minister's Office, Nagaland, stated. Claiming that the Nagaland CM had spoken about the need for the Nagas of Manipur to be united “to protect their birth right over their land, customs, culture and tradition,” the CMO statement insisted that Zeliang had “at no point mentioned about territorial integration or disintegration.”  

During his speech at the “First Conference of Naga Village Authorities of South Nagalim”, Zeliang had opined that the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 “is a preamble, and not the final agreement”. This, the CMO stated added, is indicative of the intention of both the negotiating parties to settle the issue amicably without use of force or violence.  

The statement also pointed to Zeliang’s stating his belief that the final agreement would be finalised “after having wide-ranging consultations with the stake-holders”.  

The CMO statement sought to reverse the tide alleging that Ibobi had raised the issue of integrity of his State just to gain political mileage on the eve of elections. Unfortunately, he has already segregated the communities of Manipur, it maintained.   It further stated that it was beyond comprehension as to why Ibobi would oppose “peaceful overtures” by various political groups to stop armed conflict and negotiate for peaceful solution.  

When GOI has repeatedly stated that all stake-holders would be consulted before working out the final agreement while solving the Naga political issue, Ibobi should not assume that Nagaland Chief Minister would dictate the terms of the final agreement, the CMO maintained.  

“Moreover, the Chief Minister of Nagaland is of the firm belief that good, neighbourly and cordial relations should, by all means, be maintained between different communities and States in the region for mutual growth and benefit,” the CMO statement concluded.