UNC defends TR Zeliang

NNN SENAPATI, February 17 In a veil attack on those people slamming Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang over the latter’s speech at Ukhrul on February 14, the United Naga Council (UNC) reasoned today that the Nagaland Chief Minister was ‘asserting the rights of the Naga people.’ “Political aspiration of the Naga people is the democratic right and no one can sabotage the demand,” said UNC in a statement while adding, “The wild allegations against TR Zeliang accusing him of putting wedge between different communites by civil societies, political parties including the Government of Manipur has no bearing at all”. The UNC also said that no individual or group can dictate the Naga people and their leaders in the pursuit of Naga political rights and its political solution. “We appeal every right thinking citizen of the country to lend their helping hand in finding peaceful solution to the seven-decade old Indo- Naga political issue that will bring durable peace in the region,” it added.The UNC statement then claimed that the Indo Naga political issue has become one of the global issues which has been acknowledged and supported by many international agencies and fora. It added that the Indo Naga arms conflict is a protracted struggle which is going on for almost seven decades now which is also regarded as the longest arms conflict in the south east Asia. The Naga arms conflict is considered as the mother of all insurgencies in the region. It is also worthy to note that the indo Naga peace process has completed 18 years of peaceful negotiation ( which is the longest peace talks so far) which resulted in the signing of historic Indo-Naga peace ‘framework agreement’ signed on August 3, 2015 between the two entities, said the UNC statement. Meanwhile, on the prevailing situation in Manipur, the UNC statement said that the Naga people living in the “present state” of Manipur had already declared politically severed tie with “communal” government of Manipur since the third Naga Peoples Convention (NPC) held on July 1, 2010 at Senapati. The UNC statement then quoted the then Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh who said, “There is sharp divide between the Meiteis and the Nagas in Manipur”. Dr Manmohan Singh had said this in his address to the DGPs in its 45th All India DGP Conference held in August 26, 2010 in New Delhi, according to UNC. “Now the divide has widened between the hills and the plain,” it further said while adding, “In other words, between the tribals in the hills and the dominant community in the valley”. On the three controversial bills, the UNC statement said that the passing of the “3 anti tribal bills and 2 anti Naga resolutions” by the Manipur legislative assembly on August 31, 2015 was exclusively a target to marginalize and oppress the tribal community and also it was a ploy to encroach upon the tribal lands and property”. The UNC further stated that when the tribals came out in peaceful demonstration against the 3 anti tribal bills, the “communal” state forces fired indiscriminately and killed 9 “peaceful” tribal protesters whose mortal remains are still kept in Churachandpur district hospital morque. They had been declared martyrs by the tribal people. “Now, the issue has become globally known because the matter was already reported to the UN as a gross violation of human rights and discrimination against the indigenous tribal population,” it added. According to the UNC, the matter was also raised in the Indian Parliament by several MPs including Neiphiu Rio, PA Sangma from Maghalaya , MPs from Tripura, Assam, UP, Orissa and the two Chief Minsters of the region (TR Zeliang and Lal Thanhawla) who strongly protested against the 3 bills. It then said that the nine dead bodies of tribal “martyrs” are still kept at Churachandpur morque for six months without burial. “Why the tribal protestors still throng at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and other cities throughout the country?,” it asked. Meanwhile, the UNC credited the successful celebration of Lui Ngai Ni 2016, the Naga seed sowing festival to Chief Minister of Nagaland TR Zeliang and Chief Minister of Mizoram Lan Thanhawla, and P. Chuba Ozakum, president of Naga Hoho, Maj General VS Sreenivas IGAR (South), general public, artists, cultural troops, leaders of tribal hoho, political leaders , Naga National leaders,church leaders, delegates, donors and the host Tangkhul Naga Long, public of Ukhrul district, the district administration, security forces and media fraternity etc. “The Lui Ngai Ni 2016 was not only a grant success but it was also a historic celebration in its history because the two-day event was graced by two neighbouring state chief ministers. Moreover, this is the Lui Ngai Ni celebrated with pomp and show by the Naga public and neighbouring communities including Mizo cultural troup led by Mizo People Convention, Young Mizo Association, Mizo Zirlai Pawlpi, tourists from many foreign countries,” it added.