DIMAPUR — Extending support to the office
picketing in the Naga hill districts called by the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), the Senapati District Students’ Association
(SDSA) together with its federating units, including the Mao Students’ Union
(MSU), Maram Students’ Union (MKS), Poumai Naga Students’ Union (PNTM), Thangal
Students’ Union (TAJ) and Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Senapati Zone (ZSU-SZ),
on Monday shut down government offices and banks in the district.
The SDSA had fully endorsed the ANSAM’s clarion call for
office picketing on June 2 and the 3rd, an update stated.
The SDSA and its five federating units (MSU, MKS, PNTM, TAJ
and ZSU-S) joined the 48-hour democratic agitation against the scrapping of
Free Movement Regime (FMR) and border fencing, citing infringement on Naga
rights and survival.
Student volunteers seeing locking the entrance of the Mini
Secretariat Complex, Senapati, on Monday.
The SDSA asserted that it would strictly implement the
office picketing in its jurisdiction as a show of solidarity towards fellow
Naga brethrens spread across the “imaginary international border.”
The association appealed to all the government departments
in its jurisdiction to refrain from attending or operating their respective
offices, apart from the flood relief/report or other related activities.
During the picketing, the student volunteers carried banners
and placards, some of which read ‘Nagas are one-No fencing in between,’ ‘Nagas
are one-We will live together as one people,’ ‘Nagas and their lands are
inseparable,’ ‘No fence between families,’ ‘Respect our rights & history,’
and ‘Modiji, Keep your words.’
The volunteers locked various departments operating in the
district headquarters, including DC office, DRDA, ADC and banks like the SBI,
UCO, PNB, IDBI, CBI and BOI.
Meanwhile, addressing media in Tamenglong district
headquarters, the ANSAM president drew the attention of the United Nations,
Unrepresented Nation People’s Organisation and other, highlighting Nagas'
unique identity and concerns over India's policies undermining their rights and
heritage.
The president informed that ANSAM, along with UNC, Naga
Women Union, and tribal hohos, took up the agitation across Manipur's hill
districts, protesting FMR scrapping and border fencing in Naga areas.
“We cannot accept such divisive policies of the Govt. of
India, contradicting the official agreements of the Naga nation and the Govt.
of India.
“We urge the GoI to respect the official agreements signed
between the two entities, respect the Framework Agreement by implementing the
competencies in letter and spirit and immediately revoke the scrapping of Free
Movement Regime in our ancestral land, immediately revoke and stop the imposed
border fencing construction in Naga homeland,” he said.
Student volunteers seeing locking the entrance of the Mini
Secretariat Complex, Senapati, on Monday.