Samir K. Purkayastha
The Telegraph
Dimapur/Kohima: As Manipur parties cross swords in the battle of ballots, Nagaland is praying for the 11 United Naga Council-backed Independent candidates in the Naga-dominated hill districts of its neighbouring state. The fate of these candidates will be decided in the second and third phase of polls slated for February 14 and 23.
According to Naga Hoho, the apex organisation of the Nagas, victory of the UNC-backed candidates in Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel will help set up a pressure group in the Manipur Assembly.
For Manipur, this is no ordinary election too. For the first time the territorial integrity of Nagas is uppermost on the minds of the electorate in the four Naga-dominated hill districts.
“This is good for the Naga people. I hope they will win and take a collective decision which is good for us too,” Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said.
The Nagaland Assembly has also adopted several resolutions for the integration of all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas of the Northeast.
While reacting to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s assertion that territorial integrity of Manipur would be protected at any cost, he said, “In democracy it’s the will of the people that ultimately prevails. Individual opinion doesn’t count.”
For the Naga Hoho, the Manipur election can add a new dimension to Naga politics as it believes that Naga legislators in Manipur have so far failed to associate themselves with the “Naga cause”.
“The elected Naga leaders from Manipur have till date miserably failed to voice Naga people’s aspirations. We are hopeful things will change from now,” Hoho president Neingulo Krome said.
Krome said Naga Hoho would do everything possible to ensure that the UNC succeeds in its objective.
“It will be too much to expect that once elected, all the Naga-inhabited areas will be integrated. This will just be a happy augury,” he said.
The UNC is acting as a catalyst for Naga integration by asking Naga students in Manipur to appear for their exam under Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE).
A student leader from Nagaland said putting up candidates by the UNC was an extension of its strategy to enrol Naga students of Manipur under NBSE.
“It may all appear to be symbolic, but it has political ramification which should not be overlooked,” he said.”
Krome said Naga legislators in Arunachal Pradesh had contributed to a great extent to the cause of Naga integration when they moved a resolution in the Assembly seeking integration of Naga areas. “The resolution was defeated but they set up an example by voicing Naga aspirations. We need to assert ourselves,” he said.
