Dimapur, December 17 (MExN): Various organisations have appealed to the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) and the Mao Council to desist from ‘escalating the issue’ and the Board of Arbitrators (BoA) and Tenyimi People’s Organisation (TPO) to take resolve the dispute at Kezoltsa area at the earliest.
In a press release on Saturday, the Women’s Union (NWU) expressed concern called for calm and retrospection so as to nourish the age long tradition of being good brothers and faithful neighbours.
While lamenting that ‘loathing and acrimonious resolutions and incidents have started emerging instead of relying on to mediate the underlying distrust with good faith and noble history,’ the NWU beseeched both the communities to reconsider their decisions.
It has become an urgent call for negotiation at this moment, the NWU stated while supplicating the BoA and TPO to take up the matter at the earliest.
The Naga People's Organisation (NPO) also appealed to the SAPO and Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) to reconsider their decision to ban Mao people from entering SAPO area and allow returnees to reach home safely.
“It is unfortunate that a decision like this has come into force at this festive season. Many students are returning home for Christmas and other related festivals and programme,” it said in a separate press release.
According to the NPO, “Nagas are on the verge of attaining the long awaited solution,” and internal embroilment among the Naga people would sidetrack the common aspiration. As neighbours, issues and disputes will continue even in the near future but it is paramount that peace should prevail and harmonious co-existence should be restored, it added.
Stating that it is important to respect one another’s existence and co-exist peacefully, it said that as the issue between Mao Council and the Southern Angami people is still pending, it requested the BOA and TPO to take up the matter at the earliest possible time so as to avoid future problems. As a concerned member of the Naga family, the NPO requests both the communities to desist from escalating the issue, it added.
Meanwhile, the Newmai News Network also reported that the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has appealed to the SAPO and the Mao Council to resume dialogue and bring an amicable solution.
“Underlining the importance of reconciliation in the spirit of brotherhood for a strong tribal community, the ATSUM would like to call for restraint on both sides and encourage the resumption of talk and resolve the dispute peacefully,” ATSUM stated in an appeal, as per the report.
“While admitting our limitation and understanding of the issue besieging the Mao Council and the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO), the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) feels appropriate to issue this appeal to both the communities to resolve their differences in perspectives and dispute through talks for a healthy and peaceful coexistence in the region,” the appeal stated.
It also noted that many students are travelling home to celebrate Christmas, and appealed to the SAPO to reconsider its position of prohibiting Mao community from entering the southern Angami jurisdiction in the interest of the student community.
