‘Manipur government suppressing Naga rights’
Principal Correspondent
Mao Gate, May 6
Braving the scorching heat, hundreds of Nagas, including students, from Nagaland and Manipur came together today to pay homage to the two student ‘martyrs’ of May 6, 2010 Mao Gate incident while also reaffirming to stand firm for the Naga cause. The occasion was the fifth ‘martyrdom’ anniversary of Neli Chakho and Dikho Loshou at the Martyrs’ Park in Mao Gate under Senapati district of Manipur. Both of them were among mammoth group of protesters who took out the rally to protest the State Government’s decision to prevent NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah from visiting Somdal, his ancestral village in Ukhrul district. Several protesters were also hurt in the police action.
The gathering, which even halted the flow of traffic along the national highway for almost four hours, coming together under the aegis of United Naga Council (UNC) reaffirmed the pledge to severe all political ties with the Government of Manipur and also to demand the intervention of the Government of India for an Alternative Arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur outside the existing State of Manipur.
The reaffirmation read out on behalf of the Naga people by UNC vice president Warngam remembered and honoured the two ‘heroes’ for losing their youthful and promising lives.
“On the fifth anniversary, as we pay our respects to the martyred students and other victims of police atrocities of that day, we also manifest our unwavering commitment to the world for an immediate alternative arrangement outside the Government of Manipur, pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue,” they reaffirmed.
“We are not safe – our land is not safe, our culture and traditional practice is not safe, our democratic aspiration as a people is not safe, our dignity and honour is not safe, our future is not safe – all that matters to the human person and to our people are not safe in the hands of the communal Government of Manipur,” the reaffirmation maintained.
Therefore, the Naga people in Manipur asserted to “hold steadfast to the conviction and commitment demonstrated by Chakho and Loshou who gave their all for the future and the rights of their people”. Their sacrifices will continue to inspire and strengthen the Naga people in their struggle and ‘we shall indeed overcome, they further reaffirmed.
United Naga Council president Gaidon Kamei delivering the martyrs’ day message said that Naga people have been suppressed under the oppressive political system of Manipur government. “People may project us wrong, but we are not against individual, religion or group but fighting to protect our land, our right and our identity to live with dignity,” he said.
Despite thousands of Naga people sacrificing their lives, the Government of India is playing with sentiments of Nagas, he said adding that the precious 17 years have been spoiled without the Government of India giving any concrete resolution to the Naga issue.
He said that Government of India should understand that unless and until the political problem of the Naga people is solved, ‘there will be no peace in our land’. “We therefore demand that the political solution should be based on the uniqueness of the Naga history,” he said.
Lambasting that the Centre had been playing delay tactics and also instigating the State Governments in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur work against the aspirations of the Naga people, he however expressed the hope an early solution while citing that the present leadership under Narendra Modi in the Centre has assured the Naga people that solution will be worked on time bound manner.
Nonetheless, Kamei called upon the Naga people to continue to fight for their rights, if GoI continues to delay or sabotage the Naga rights by military suppression.
He also said that Nagas in Manipur should be prepared to take extra risk in taking up the cause till they achieve their cherished aspiration.
Solidarity messages were also delivered by representatives from Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, All Naga Students’ Association Manipur, Naga Women Union and Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (South).
Special numbers were presented by Athini & friends, Mount Gideon HSS and Asüfü Christian Institute while UNC acting general secretary S. Milan gave the introduction and UNC speaker Kho John tendered acknowledgement.
Laying of wreaths and one-minute silence in respectful remembrance of the two departed souls and singing Rev. Wati Aier’s compose – ‘Healing of our Spirit’ marked the occasion.
The United Naga Council (UNC) today reiterated that Naga people have nothing to do with the upcoming Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections in Manipur scheduled for June 1.
Speaking at the function here, UNC president Gaidon Kamei while expressing that the political parties campaigning to participate in the ADC elections are ‘traitors and deceivers’, called upon the Naga people ‘not to be misguided’ by those political parties.
“We will never subscribe to such impositions in our land by the communal government of Manipur,” the UNC president said while calling upon the Naga people to stand firm to face any eventuality created by the ‘adversaries’.
“Let us be united and stand firm till we see and enjoy the solution of Naga political issue under the collective leadership (NSCN-IM),” he said.
Kamei also declared that the UNC endorses the ‘collective leadership’ to work out the final solution of the vexed Naga political issue.
It may be recalled that conforming with the UNC call for boycotting of the ADC election in 2010, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) had not participated in the elections following which Congress had got absolute majority. But this time, NPF has declared to contest in 84 seats while tickets for 78 seats were issued on May 2 in NPF Central Office, Kohima.
