Former member of Manipur Human. Rights Commission Yambem Laba had justified the declaration of 18 June Holiday as Integrity Day of Manipur under the caption, “18 June events not anti Nagas” published in Imphal free press on 13-8-2005. We may recall the events that happened on that fateful day. The day was totally a mess and there was complete chaos in the state administration. The events were all stage managed. Y. Laba said that the sentiment was against the govt of India and hence the arsonist, burnt copies of Indian constitution and trio-color Flag of Indian Union. Besides burning of Constitution and Flag, the Meities agitators also burnt down a number of building including CM’s bungalow and Assembly buildings.
*Just after the ‘burning of Indian National Flag. The protestors hoisted the seven colored Meities National Flag in the Heart of ImphaI City. The same flag is still fluttering on top of Institute of Co-operative Management Building at Lamphalpat, Imphal.
*Justification of such acts encouraged the MEELAL activists to destroy the Central Library into ashes.
After burning down those buildings, they came out to the street and barked at the Nagas, like wild dogs. Laba observed that the 18 June events were not anti-Naga. Perhaps he was not informed of what happened or he is woefully unaware of the ground realities. The protestors screamed at the top of their voices, ‘’Naga hatlo” (Kill the Naga) “Hao’ hatlo” (Kill the Tribals), ‘’NagaIand da chatlo” (Go to Nagaland) and other endearments.
Over and above all those abusive words/remark, they also pelted stones on the houses of the tribal. Prof N Sanjaoba singh had patriotically stated that, “Manipur da Naga haiba iati ashi leite” (There are no Nagas in Manipur). His statement was published in Yakairol daily on 30-6-2001. If he meant Imphal as Manipur, he was right in that sense. Were all those acts/ events and statements not anti-Nagas? The day was therefore Anti-India & Anti-Naga. So Nagas are against the declaration of June 18, as state Holiday and Integrity Day.
After having Justified the events of 18 June 2001, and the subsequent anti-Naga Rallies, strikes & sit in protests. Mr Yambem Laba had come out with a new meaning to the concept of being a Naga. According to him, Naga means anti-Manipuri or Meitie to be more precise. In his X-File published in the Imphal Free Press on 20-8-2005 he said, “it appeared that The Nagas hatred for the Meities far surpassed than its hatred for Indian”.
Here he attempts to throw a wedge between the Nagas and Indians which is rather irrelevant observation at this stage.
If there is at all Naga hatred for Meities today, certainly it would be the outcome of the long hatred matted out by the Meities to the tribals in early days. The concept of Mr. Laba was wrong. It is the other way round. The hate Naga policy had long been practiced since time immemorial. The Meities did not allow tribals whom they call Haos in their homes, prohibited to climb up even to their verandah, not allowed to touch water pots or pipelines, cash had to be dropped on the ground for any purchase a tribal made from Meities vendors, tribals were really a thing of untouchable in the eyes of the Meities. Such a despised feeling and attitude was in practice even up to the post Indian Independent days
Now the Meities claim for well meted and harmonious living with tribals for thousand years. This idea of good relationship and harmonious living was a recent development. This slogan come into use only after the declaration of cease fire between the. GOI & NSCN in 1997
It was rather an unexpected thing that a person like Mr. Yambem Laba, a man of good understanding who had read well would utter such a communal and provocative statement
D. Kaiphun
Tamenglong Bazar
