Nagas to intensify agitation
Imphal | April 14 : The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga frontal organisation in Manipur has threatened to take up drastic forms of agitation against the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 2008. The UNC has urged all the Naga organisations and the Naga populace not to participate in the elections of the Autonomous District Councils in Manipur which have been slated for May 17 and 24.
The Naga apex body in Manipur also urged all the Nagas to extend their support to the ongoing 6-day long economic blockade sponsored by All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) against the ADC Act of 2008.
The decision of the UNC was taken on April 13 during a meeting held at Senapati. One of the resolutions taken by the UNC on April 13 said “We will intensify the agitation until the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 is nullified”.
Other resolutions are to instruct all the Naga organisations’ executives and all the Nagas to abide by the decision of the consultative meetings and refrain from participating in the ensuing ADC elections which would be held under the Act. The Naga people are urged to reject the Act and extend fullest support to the 6-day economic blockade imposed by ANSAM. The inaction of the Hill Area Committee (HAC) members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and their inability to defer the elections and review the Act as per the demand was also flayed.
“In the backdrop of imposition of Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 and the process of conducting the Autonomous District Councils (ADC) elections in the hill districts of Manipur, the UNC held an emergency presidential council meeting on April 13 at Senapati.
The meeting discussed and reviewed the recent series of consultative meetings of the Naga people viz, customary practice and traditional system of Land and Natural Resource management with relation to Forest Act 1927; the Manipur (Hill Areas) village Authority Act 1956; Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act 1960; International legal Instruments protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Imposed Legislation, Policy and Programme that threatens the Rights of the Tribal People with reference to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008”, said a UNC source.
The meeting also recalled the symbolic actions of rejecting the Act by consigning to flame, the copy of Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (Third amendment) Act 2008 on April 5, 2010 and imposing a 12-hour chakka bandh in the hill districts of Manipur on April 14, 2010, said the UNC source. “We have also taken a resolution to re-affirm and implement the decisions of the consultative meetings held at Ukhrul, Taphou Naga village, Tadubi, Kangshang, Chandel and Tamenglong recently,” added the source.
