Ukhrul: The weather on Wednesday was gloomy and cloudy in Manipur’s Ukhrul district but it did not deter the spirit of the thousands of residents who marched across the town demanding an early resolution to the ongoing Naga peace talks.
At least 13,000 Tangkhul Nagas from various walks of life participated in the mass rally called by the United Naga Council (UNC) to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue based on the Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on August 3, 2015.
The mass rally began from two points, Mission Ground, Hunphun and Dungrei Junction, Hungpung and later converged at the Mini Secretariat for a short programme.
Simultaneous rallies were also taken out at Naga inhabited districts of Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong with the same enthusiasm and spirit of Nagas longing for the final solution.
Mostly dressed in their colourful traditional attires, the protestors held placards and shouted slogans like ‘PM Modi walk the talk’, ‘stop playing divisive politics’, ‘GOI respect Naga nation implement framework agreement’, and ‘we demand political solution’.
Slogans like ‘No Bifurcation in Naga areas,’ ‘26 years of negotiation with 7 Prime Ministers is enough’, ‘Resolve Indo-Naga political issue,’ ‘Respect the unique history and situations of Nagas’ were displayed in the placards carried by the protestors.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the rally, Kho John, former UNC president, said that since the signing of the Framework Agreement in 2015, the government has not been able to resolve the issue even after eight years.
“Their (Center) tenure is also coming to an end by 2024 and we hope that the Government of India takes seriously and solves the Framework Agreement with the NSCN-IM,” said the former president of UNC.
He further appreciated the people from four Naga hill districts who came forward and supported the demand of the Indo-Naga peace solution.
“Through this rally, we try to voice our concerns to the Center, so that they can hear our demand and voice,” he added.
Art and culture secretary of Naga Women’s Union (NWU) A Haobila stated that the Naga women were here to reiterate the demand for an acceptable and honourable solution to the Indo-Naga peace talks and political issue in the true spirit of the historic Indo-Naga Framework Agreement of 3rd August, 2015 at New Delhi.
The UNC also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the deputy commissioner of Ukhrul district.
In the memorandum, the UNC stated that “the Naga people will not accept disintegration of Naga land or any act that will adversely affect the interest of the Naga people while attempting to address demands of any other community.”
“We can only state that such misadventures will have serious ramifications that will provoke further senseless violence with different communities. However, we wish to make it clear that any other community living in the Naga ancestral homeland will not be left out of the final settlement in consonance with the mutually agreed upon competencies,” stated the UNC.
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