Al Ngullie
Dimapur | September 25
Talks between the state government of Manipur and the agitating United Naga Council (UNC) are expected within the next two weeks, over issues associated with the demand for an alternative administrative arrangement away from Manipur government’s organization.
The proposed dialogue was informed to have agreed to by the UNC after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram this week assured to broker dialogue between the two sides. The venue of the talks has been decided upon – ‘neutral venue’ Delhi – but schedule and dates are yet to be decided upon, a reliable source informed today.
To the query why the UNC would talk with the Manipur Government if the former wanted nothing to do with the latter, the source said the ‘talks’ are only for issues related to the alternative arrangement.’ The talks will be ‘absolutely only’ on matter pertinent to ‘alternative administrative arrangement’ and nothing else, said the source, a UNC leader, from Delhi tonight. The leader, on anonymity, said a schedule of dates is expected in few days after the key central leaders are met with. Only at the urgings of the Home Minister P Chidambaram assuring to facilitate dialogue did the Naga organization agreed, the source implied.
A delegation of the UNC is currently in Delhi, since September 21, meeting with national leaders, including Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Leader of Opposition Shushma Swaraj in Delhi to press for an ‘alternative administrative arrangement.’ A “tripartite meeting” of the Centre, Manipur government and the UNC was also held.
The UNC is adamant against any arrangement that falls within the administrative purview and control of Manipur state government. Any arrangement it may be one that is under the Centre’s direct administration and ‘absolutely not’ under the Manipur government, a leader of the UNC’s Alternative Arrangement Committee also said. He said the arrangement could be any form – Union Territory or administrative state and so on – as the provisions of the Indian constitution possibly allows and administered by the Centre. But ‘absolutely not under Manipur government,’ the source said. ‘Enough is enough,’ he added.
‘If the talks fail (over the stated demand), agitation will resume; agitations will depend on the outcome of the talks,’ the UNC’s committee leader said. But the UNC has cautioned the Centre not to use the ‘talks’ as a reason to delay resolution to the demand being made.
Earlier, the ‘Separate Hill Areas Administration Committee’ had elaborated the envisaged administrative arrangement – five geographically contiguous “chunk” districts of Manipur state, Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.
