DIMAPUR — Three
Zeliangrong civil society organisations—Zeliangrong Baudi (Manipur),
Zeliangrong Youth Front, and Zeliangrong Students’ Union—have questioned
whether the Centre has devised a “sinister design to sow seeds of distrust”
amongst Nagas under the garb of ceasefire agreements.
In a joint press statement issued on Friday, the three
organisations stated that an armed clash between NSCN (IM) and ZUF at Shangji
village in Manipur on November 28 had vitiated the peaceful atmosphere once
again.
They stated that the Zeliangrong people in particular and
Nagas in general were optimistic about “peaceful living with the signing of
ceasefire agreements," but the “frequent armed confrontations" have
shattered such hopes.
“The government of India remaining as a silent spectator and
turning a blind eye to frequent armed groups’ confrontation, specifically in
Zeliangrong areas, has raised a sense of doubt whether the government of India
devised a sinister design to sow seeds of distrust amongst the Naga brethren
under the garb of ceasefire agreements.
“The government of India is accountable and must entirely
bear the responsibility for all those precious lives lost, belonging to different
groups, during the ongoing political talk since the confrontation occurred,
leading to the loss of precious lives, were due to insincerity and negligence
on the part of the government of India,” the statement read.
They appealed to the Centre to “monitor the overall
situation so that armed confrontation and loss of precious lives do not occur”
and pave the way for real peace in the region.
Also, the three organisations appealed to all the groups to
uphold their own commitment to peace in the region and to respect the sentiment
of the people.
