Memorandum to PM seeking PR in Manipur, CBI enquiry into Dec 18 violence, expedite finalisation of Framework Agreement, nullify new districts, unconditional release of leaders
New Delhi, December 29 (MExN): The Committee for Joint Naga Civil Societies, Delhi (CJNCSD) today organized a mass protest rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi to further intensify protest against the arrest of two United Naga Council (UNC) leaders and the “unconstitutional” formation of seven new districts in Manipur State.
The CJNCSD reaffirmed that the Naga issue is a political issue and vowed to stand its ground with UNC till the unconditional release of the two incarcerated leaders and rolling back of the proposed districts. It clarified that the UNC has been observing partial peaceful shutdown along the national highway which is a legal and democratic form of protest. However, “communal Ibobi and paid valley-based media ingeniously coined the term ‘economic blockade’ to criminalise the Naga political issue and illegally arrested the President and the Information Secretary of UNC,” stated the body.
A press statement from the CJNCSD Information and Publicity Wing informed today that a large number of Naga people gathered on the streets of Jantar Mantar on December 29, chanting "Nagas shall defend their land to the last man standing" and burnt effigies of Ibobi Singh and Gaikhangam Gangmei.
CJNCSD raised doubt on the “political intention” of the Government of India (GoI) for its “continued silence” on the issue. It questioned why the GoI has “not raised even a single question to the Government of Manipur for the imprisonment of the two UNC leaders and the unconstitutional formation of the new seven districts.”
In that, the CJNCSD slammed the GoI for “insidiously siding with the communally fascist and anti-Naga regime of Ibobi Government at the cost of the legitimate aspiration of the Nagas.”
“The indifferent attitude of the Government of India towards the present crisis is tantamount to dishonouring of the 3rd August Naga Framework Agreement. Is this how the Government of India wants to sell the Indian democracy and political institution to the Nagas?” asked the CJNCSD.
The joint body also stated that Nagas have been “defending every inch of their ancestral land, liberty, identity and dignity with blood and tears since the mighty British times” and dared the Government of Manipur to “attempt to carve out even an inch of the Naga ancestral territory in the name of formation of new districts.”
CJNCSD stated that Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh has been “targeting tribal lands through various unconstitutional legislative actions as the valley brothers cannot legally buy tribal lands.”
“Ibobi has been playing politics with the life, soul, land, dignity, identity and culture of the hill tribals to cling on to power by exploiting the anti-tribal sentiment of the valley brothers as the valley brothers are socially patterned to perceive any anti-tribal policy as the interest of the valley,” the press statement noted.
CJNCSD has submitted another memorandum to the Prime Minister of India today reiterating the following demands: immediate nullification of the creation of the seven new districts; unconditional release of the two UNC leaders; to respect the 3rd August Naga Framework Agreement and to expedite the finalization of the Framework Agreement; imposition of President’s Rule in the State of Manipur; CBI enquiry into the December 18, 2016 communal violence against the innocent Naga civilian passengers at Imphal and immediate compensation for the victims.
Behind the violence: New districts revive Manipur’s old divide
After 3 laws united tribals in protest, govt seeks to woo Kukis with district while Nagas, feeling left out, are back in conflict with Meiteis
Esha Roy
The Indian Express
The colony of Khurai in Imphal East, Manipur, was deserted. The usually bustling Lamlong Bazaar was without its vegetable vendors while the highway to Ukhrul in the hills was empty except for paramilitary and police personnel patrolling it.
Khurai has been under curfew for more than a week now, after a mob torched 22 vehicles headed for Ukhrul under police escort. They held the passengers hostage until they were rescued by the United Council of Manipur and a larger police contingent.
The shutdown in Khurai presented the face of one half of a building conflict. In a state hit by an economic blockade for nearly two months — first called by the United Naga Council and then countered by the Meiteis with a blockade of their own — Khurai has traditionally been at the vanguard of Meitei-centric protests.
“Our counter-blockade was only imposed after 42 days of the other blockade,” said L Sangeeta, 45, a meira paibi (woman activist) for Meiteis. “But this counter-blockade isn’t about Meiteis versus Nagas. It’s about Meiteis versus United Naga Council, the people of Khurai versus the UNC.”
3 bills & 7 districts
Over the last one year, Congress Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was looking at an erosion in his Meitei support base. Unable to introduce the inner line permit, Ibobi found a middle ground when his government passed three bills that seek to restrict outsiders from settling in Manipur.
The bills pacified the Joint Committee for Inner Line Permit to an extent, and the Congress looked to regain its Meitei support. In the process, however, the bills alienated various tribes, who considered these anti-tribal and communal, and also united warring tribal groups for the first time —Kukis, Zomis and various Naga tribes.
Ibobi then came up with what those watching Manipur politics call a masterstroke. He announced seven new districts, including Kanpokpi in Kuki-dominated Sadar Hills. One objective was to win the Kukis over. And although Naga groups were upset, Congress sources said they were never looking at the 10 Naga-dominated seats. Manipur has 60 seats; polls are due early next year.
The move was a gamble. The Congress’s losses came in the form of senior leaders such as vice president N Biren and MLA Y Erabot joining the BJP. But the Congress also inducted BJP MLA Joykishen and claimed more and more people have been joining over the last week.
“Three Congress MLAS have left — one to join the BJP, another to join the Naga People’s Front and the third undecided,” said a Congress source close to the CM. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) is a BJP ally in Nagaland. Congress sources alleged that the NSCN(IM) has now issued a diktat that people of the Naga hills cannot vote for any Congress or BJP candidate, only for the NPF.
BJP in Manipur
Over the last year and a half, the BJP has grown from a party with no presence to a serious opposition. Though it won no Lok Sabha seat here in 2014, the nationwide victory helped it grow in terms of membership. In the Imphal municipality elections, it won 10 seats to the Congress’s 12 in a house of 27.
The BJP has attacked the Congress for the new districts. “Manipur cannot be called Manipur without the Nagas. Ibobi is isolating the Nagas to make electoral gains,” said BJP state spokesperson N Biren. “Ibobi has played such divisive politics before… but there was nobody to oppose him. We are here now.”
Ibobi has accused the Centre of not helping the state in controlling law and order. Later, the Centre rushed MoS of Home Kiren Rijiju to Imphal. Rijiju accused Ibobi of “politicising a humanitarian situation”. “There has never been an instance when the Centre has not stepped forward to help the state,” he told The Indian Express. “Law and order is a state subject… The Home Minister has made it clear that the state has been unable to handle this situation.” NSCN (IM)
Violence has risen in the hills of late, including shootouts with police. Government sources said this has prevented the chief minister from inaugurating the new Kamjong district, earlier part of Ukhrul. “We believe that hundreds of NSCN(IM) cadres have moved into Kamjong,” said a source.
NSCN(IM) kilonser (minister) for information and publicity V Horam said the Naga people have objected to the government’s move. “The move that Ibobi has made is to gain political mileage in the elections. He discussed the matter with certain sections of the tribal community – that he will announce these districts – and in exchange they will support the Congress. The Naga people have objected,” Horam told The Indian Express from Dimapur, accusing the government of “slicing away” Naga areas.
“I don’t think Ibobi has the authority to take away our land and hand it over to other communities who have no right over that land,” said S Varah, deputy kilosner, information and publicity. “Blockades can last a few days. But one or two months?… It makes the NSCN(IM) feel that the government [of India] is not serious about putting the matter of the Indo-Naga conflict to rest once and for all. The Manipur government is communal and has not developed any of the hill areas.”
State Congress R K Imo denied this, saying a major share of the budget goes to the hill districts. “To call the present government communal, or to place the blame at the threshold of the Meiteis, is entirely erroneous… When have you ever heard of a district being created on the basis of caste, creed or religion?” Imo said. “… Even after the formation of these districts, Meiteis cannot buy land here. So what are Meiteis getting out of this, as the UNC has been alleging?”
Imo accused the BJP, along with the NPF, of spurring communal tension. “Never have churches been burnt in Manipur, no matter what the problem… I feel this is a political game and that the BJP is instigating this.”
