Newmai News Network
Imphal | May 23
Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh today said neither the Nagaland government nor the Centre will accept any ‘hill house tax’ collected from Manipur. The chief minister was reacting to media reports that United Naga Council (UNC) is collecting hill house tax in four hill districts of Manipur for handing it over to the Centre or the Nagaland government.
Addressing a media conference organized in connection with the employees’ cease-work strike, Ibobi responded to questions on his government’s reaction to the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) campaign for teaching the contents of Nagaland text books in private schools in Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Chandel and Senapati districts and also on the UNC’s move to hand over hill house tax to the Centre.
Ibobi Singh, however, is confident that neither the government of Nagaland nor the Centre will accept any form of tax collected from Manipur. “If they (New Delhi and Nagaland) receive the tax, my government will not agree to it. We will fight against such a move,” the chief minister told reporters responding to questions.
The UNC and the ANSAM launched the campaigns following a federal assembly resolution of the UNC, which was held at Taphou village of Senapati district on November 4 last year to launch a non-cooperation movement against the Ibobi Singh government. The chief minister reiterated his government’s rejection to the proposal for introduction of text books prescribed by the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education in private schools of the four hill districts.
He said that if any school includes in its curriculum the text books of the neighbouring state, the registration of such schools would have to be cancelled, and as a result careers of the students would be ruined. For this the government will not be responsible, he said. He further said that all heads of schools in the hills have been notified not to teach the matter in these text books. He also said only two schools in each of the districts would be allowed to be affiliated to the CBSE.
Only a few days back, the UNC had reacted strongly against Ibobi Singh’s recent warning that schools would be derecognized if found using Nagaland text books. In a joint statement, UNC and ANSAM said Nagas would not be cowed down by such threats. The Nagas were determined to be unified, the joint statement said. Ibobi Singh, however, did not find anything wrong when some Nagas put up a banner, which read “Welcome to South Nagalim, Shri Ibobi Singh” at the district headquarters of Senapati when the chief minister came visiting yesterday. Responding to a question, Ibobi Singh said in a free democratic country people have the right to raise any demands.
Ibobi Singh appealed to the striking government employees to immediately call off their cease-work strike. He said that the government has already fulfilled 90 per cent of their demands. The cease-work strike began on April 20.
