Even as eight Naga legislators from Manipur signed a memorandum to the Prime Minister along with 32 of their Meitei colleagues in the Assembly, some terms that the Naga MLAs put their names to have now stirred up a hornet’s nest within the United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the 20 Naga tribes living in Manipur.
The UNC has in strong terms distanced itself from the eight Naga MLAs (from across party lines) for putting their names on the memorandum, saying that some of the points mentioned in the representation “negated the collective sentiments of the Naga populace”.
Around 40 MLAs (both Meitei and Naga) had written to the PMO on August 9, seeking the implementation of the National Register of Citizens and the strengthening of existing Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) as possible political solutions to the ongoing conflict in the State between the Kuki-Zomi people and the Meitei people.
However, at the same time, the UNC was holding peace rallies across Naga-inhabited district of Manipur, seeking that the Indo-Naga peace talks be concluded soon and that the Framework Agreement (FA) signed in August 2015 be honoured in letter and spirit.
The UNC had said that talks had been stuck after the FA was signed and that the point of contention had become the demand to recognise a separate constitution and flag, something that was implied in the FA, the UNC said.
‘Uncalled for’
After news of the Naga MLAs signing the memorandum to the PMO became public, the UNC, in an August 13 statement said, “Whilst the Nagas are all out reiterating for an inclusive, acceptable and honourable solution to the Indo-Naga political issue, submitting representation with some contradictory demands to the Prime Minister of India is highly uncalled for.”
Sources in the UNC said that the contention was over the demand to strengthen the existing six ADCs of the State, most of which cover large areas inhabited by the Naga tribes.
“This is not what the FA suggests. The 2015 agreement had the recognition of shared sovereignty, which implied recognition for two separate entities. Asking for existing ADCs to be strengthened goes against the FA,” one leader said, wishing not to be named.
Even as the conflict between the dominant valley-based Meitei people and the Scheduled Tribe hills-based Kuki-Zomi people has gone on for over three months now, Naga tribes have chosen to not take a public or explicit position on this.
However, ever since the Kuki-Zomi people have demanded a separate administration for their people, Naga leaders have from time to time issued statements saying that any disruption to lands inhabited by Nagas in an attempt to address issues of the Kuki-Zomi people would be unacceptable to them.
