DIMAPUR, MAY 31 (MExN): The visit of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to neighbouring Senapati district has sparked a wide-scale controversy. Two political parties from Nagaland- the NPF and the BJP unit- and the Naga National Party from Manipur State justify Rio’s visit with the support of 14 Naga based social organizations. The Manipur Assembly, on the other hand, has demanded that Rio should be considered a criminal and steps should be taken to arrest him.
The aforementioned political parties vehemently rejected and denounced the Manipur Legislative Assembly resolution initiated by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh. The issue tabled on the floor of the Assembly was based “on the foundation of self-concoction to denigrate and malign the image of the Chief Minister of Nagaland,” an NPF release said.
In separate releases, the parties clarified that prior information had been furnished of Rio’s visit to Senapati and that he had not addressed any public meeting. “Taking the entire issue into account, it can only be simply deduced that Mr Ibobi Singh and other Meitei leaders made attempt only to infuse and incite animosity and hatred between the two communities,” it was informed. The ‘belligerent attitude’ of the ‘Meitei leaders’ was also questioned. If “Nagaland Chief Minister or Naga people of Nagaland are not allowed to visit or cross Manipur than what about Mr Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur or Meitei people visiting or crossing Nagaland State?” the NPF questioned. The BJP and the NNP echoed the same lines.
While warning Rio’s statement soliciting the support of the Naga MLAs of Manipur, Manipur People’s Party (MPP) president L. Borajao said that by making such statements to integrate all Naga inhabited areas could ignite an ethnic crisis among the various communities of Manipur. He demanded that Rio should be considered a criminal and steps should be taken to arrest him.
Criticizing the central government for remaining silent over the issue, the MPP president observed that the NSCN (IM) cadres and their supporters are intruding Manipur territory and indulging in unlawful activities violating the cease fire ground rules between GOI and NSCN (IM).
On the issue of the ‘Welcome to South Nagalim’ festoon showed to the Chief Minister of Manipur, during his recent visit to Senapati, L. Borajao maintained that it could seriously hurt Manipur territorial integrity and that Ibobi should not remain silent over the issue.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) an apex body of Kuki community said that the recent visit of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the subsequent statement is not only a breach of official protocol but it was also a provocation to the integrity of Manipur which deserves outright condemnation by all. The statement of Kuki body further said that projecting the ‘Nagaland for Christ’ reflects self centered interest saying “patronizing of ego-centric Naga mentality and their insensibility for others has no room in Christianity, maintained the Kuki apex body and added that there is no ‘South Nagaland’ in Manipur.
