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IMPHAL — United Naga Council, the apex body of Nagas in Manipur, has announced a 48-hour total bandh in “all Naga areas” from the midnight of October 3.
“The Naga people believe in dialogue and have therefore repeatedly appealed to the concerned authority including the last ultimatum to redress our grievances through talks but having no concrete response to our plea thus far, the Naga people have resolved to called for 48 hours total bandh to register our resentment and demand for immediate roll back of the arbitrarily creation of 7 new Districts in all Naga areas with effect from midnight of October 3,” stated a press release issued by the council on Monday.
The then Congress-led government in Manipur had created seven new districts in the state in December 2016 following a state cabinet meeting that went on till late night. The new districts are Jiribam, Kamjong, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Noney, Pherzawl and Kangpokpi.
Earlier, the number of districts was only nine: four in the valley namely Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur; and five in the hills—Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.
The UNC press statement recalled that an ultimatum was issued demanding the rollback of the creation of new districts on December 8, 2016 “in the spirit of the standing 4 Memoranda of Understanding between government of Manipur and the Naga People, assurance from the Government of India, and various round of tripartite talks amongst the stakeholders”.
“Consequent upon this, a mammoth protest, hartals and an economic blockade was launched in all the National Highways for 139 days in the state and as many as 10 rounds of tripartite talks amongst the Government of Manipur, UNC and Government of India had been taken place to redress the issue; the last talk being held on March 9, 2019 with the assurance that concrete proposal shall be placed by the government of Manipur in the next round of talk supposedly proposed to be held by the last week of July 2019,” it stated.
Reiterating “their rigid position against the arbitrary, undemocratic and divisive declaration of 7 new districts on 8th December 2016 by the then government of Manipur,” it further added that any subsequent decision or ruling passed by any institution or authority on the matter stands rejected.
Informing that essential services, media and emergency cases would be exempted from the purview of the bandh, the UNC statement sought “prompt response and cooperation from the entire Naga populace.”