Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 30 (EMN): The Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth Front, and the All Zeliangrong Students’ Union of Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, have urged the Union Home minister to intervene in a situation arising out of a reported ‘threat on the life of the leaders of the Zeliangrong civil organisations by the NSCN (IM) over the report of trifurcation of the Zeliangrong tribe.’
The leaders of the three Zeliangrong frontal organisations speaking to reporters after holding a consultative meeting in Imphal this afternoon said a joint representation has also been submitted in this regard on July 28.
President Athuan Abonmei of ZB (AMN) said that the Zeliangrong people will not succumb to any forces which may threaten the unity and integrity of the Zeliangrong people.
Stating that Zeliangrong people will carry forward their issues, he said that they will not heed to such moves.President Titus Kamei of ZYF (AMN) also shared his feeling during the media interaction.
As per the joint representation, the Anthropological Survey of India based on its definition ‘Ethno cultural entity is valid concept’ had done research on the oneness and ethnicity of the Zeliangrong tribe and had come into a conclusion that Zeliangrong is a tribe speaking four dialects.
However NSCN (IM) took a contradictory decision on March 23, 2018 that had trifurcated the Zeliangrong into three distinct tribes and recognised as ‘Zeme’ ‘Liangmai’ and ‘Rongmei,’ it added.
The NSCN (IM) which is an underground outfit and it does not have any authority to decide on the identity issue and it is neither their duty to ban the Zeliangrong civil organisations. On the other hand, a Xerox copy of a NSCN (IM) letter which was made available in the day’s interaction said that ‘Zeme’ ‘Liangmai’ and ‘Rongmei,’ were recognised tribes in the gazette of India.
The representation further said that the move of the outfit is an attempt to impose their will against the interest of the Zeliangrong people in particular and Naga people in general.
Stating that they felt insecure to life and free movement in view of the threat, the presidents of ZB (AMN), ZYF (AMN) and AZSU (AMN) in their representation sought immediate intervention “to avoid any untoward incident in the near future.”
The day’s consultative meeting in Imphal was attended by functionaries of ZB, ZYF and AZSU and their unit’s leaders besides other social leaders, women’s leaders, youth and students’ leaders etc.
