Imphal, Dec. 11: Intensifying its economic blockade following the creation on Thursday of seven new districts in Manipur, the United Naga Council (UNC) in Senapati district headquarters forced vehicles carrying paramilitary personnel, proceeding to escort trucks and oil tankers stranded on the highway, to return to Imphal on Saturday night.
Hundreds of loaded trucks and oil tankers remain stranded in Assam, Nagaland and near Manipur's border along National Highways 2 and 53. The blockade of supplies has led to severe shortage of fuel, consumer items and life-saving drugs in the state.
The UNC had enforced the blockade on the highways on November 1 in protest against the Okram Ibobi Singh government's move to upgrade Sadar Hills and Jiribam to full-fledged districts. Sadar Hills is one of the seven new districts, albeit under a new name -- Kangpokpi district.
The Manipur government on Thursday announced formation of seven new districts -- Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Tengoupal, Pharzol, Kakching, Noney and Kamjongin -- in the state.
Meanwhile, UNC said that a meeting of the Nagas will be held on Monday to take stock of the situation arising out of the creation of the seven districts.
There have been low-key sit-in protests and demonstrations demanding the release of the two arrested UNC leaders, including Council President Gaidon Kamei.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has refused to budge saying that the law will take its own course.
Manipur High Court has also issued directives on three occasions, the most important being one directing the state government to deploy "adequate" security forces along the highways to ensure safe movement of vehicles.
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Joint Naga civil societies serve ultimatum to Manipur govt
The Committee for Joint Naga Civil Societies (CJNCSD) has served the Manipur state government 48 hours, from 12 midnight Sunday, to withdraw the state’s decision to form new districts, as well as to release two incarcerated United Naga Council (UNC) leaders.
There will be consequences if the Manipur government fails to meet said demands, the CJNCSD, stated to be at Delhi, warned plainly in a formal statement on Sunday.
The committee has assured that the United Naga Council, All Naga Students’ Association of Manipur and the Naga Students’ Federation will not give away ‘even an inch of the Naga ancestral territory… dissected, carved out, bartered, usurped or included in any of the new district formation’ in Manipur.
In what apparently could be the start of a new level of confrontation, the CJNCSD has also directed Nagas in Manipur to be prepared ‘for any eventuality’ to defend ‘tooth and nail.’
The committee condemned what it called the ‘forceful creation’ of seven new districts in Manipur, namely Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Pherzawl, Kakching, Noney and Kamjong ‘in spite of staunch protest and opposition’ from the Nagas.
The committee has served the government 48 hours demanding unconditional release of the two incarcerated UNC leaders and immediate withdrawal of the cabinet decision to form said districts. The organization warned the Manipur government “to face the compelling consequences and eventuality in case the demands are not fulfilled.”
According to the CJNCSD, the ‘political intent of the drastic decision’ to create seven new districts was simply to dissect the Naga people “into pieces to make the anticipating Framework Agreement impossible and to grab the ancestral land of the Nagas forever in view of the fact that Meiteis cannot legally acquire tribal lands.”
Chandel district will be bifurcated into pieces, thereby isolating and segregating it from the rest of the Naga areas, it stated. “This carved out junk of land of the Chandel Nagas will then be shelled out to the Kukis, thus, Tengnaopal district, by default will become the district of the Kukis. Meanwhile, Meiteis will gradually encroach up to Kamjong district to take over the Tangkhul Naga areas,” the press release stated.
Likewise, it stated, the “Sadar hills will slowly be expanded and the Nagas will lose ownership over their own ancestral land till Senapati district. The nature of the ethno-demographic distribution is also a deliberate design to reduce the Nagas to a mere minority group in all these districts.”
“CJNCSD reiterates the stand of UNC, ANSAM and NSF that not even an inch of the Naga ancestral territory shall be touched upon, parted with, dissected, carved out, bartered, usurped or included in any of the new district formation. CJNCSD appeals the Nagas to stand firm with UNC and be prepared to meet any eventuality in defending their land, identity and culture tooth and nail to the end,” it added.
