Soaring Wings

Manipur Police

Imphal: The United Naga Council has served a five-day  “ultimatum” to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by asking him to institute a judicial inquiry into the Mao Gate ‘massacre’ of May 6, 2010.

The Nagas are also demanding the withdrawal of CrPc Section 144 and “delimitarisation” of Naga inhabited areas by the Indian reserve Battalion and Manipur Police Commandos.

They also warned that if the Government of India fails to react positively to their demands, the Nagas would resume the temporarily suspended agitation. The Nagas had called of their over 2-month-long bloackade of the National Highway connecting Manipur and Assam just a few weeks back.

The full text of the United Naga Council’s Memo to Prime Minister of India is given below:

Dr Manmohan Singh,
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
New Delhi,

ULTIMATUM: ON THE POSITION AND SITUATION OF THE NAGA PEOPLE IN MANIPUR STATE AND FOR HONOURING THE COMMITMENT FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE.

Sir,

The Naga people in Manipur have been patiently awaiting for the response of the Government of India (GOI) to the urgent demands for intervention made to your good office on several occasions, given the irredeemably vitiated situation prevailing in the present State of Manipur.

It will be kindly noted that the economic blockade which was enforced by the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur(ANSAM) in protest against the imposition of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils(3^rd Amendment) Act 2008 on the tribals and later on compounded with the insult on the Naga Students’ Federation by the Manipur State Armed Forces and the killing of 2 students at Mao on 6^th May, 2010 by the Manipur State Armed Forces, was temporarily suspended on the 18^th June, 2010 in the joint meeting of the Naga Hoho(NH), United Naga Council(UNC), Naga Students’ Federation(NSF), ANSAM, Naga Women’s’ Union, Manipur(NWUM) and the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights(NPMHR-S) in deference to the request of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Home Minister of India and the Hon’ble Leader of the Opposition, Government of India, which was conveyed through the Naga Students’ Federation during their visit to Delhi in the second week of June, 2010.

Hon’ble Sir, even in the face of extreme provocation and total disregard for our existence as a people by the communal State Government of Manipur, the Nagas in Manipur had been hopeful that the GoI will intervene and address the issues that had been repeatedly brought before the GoI. The Naga People have always cherished peace and good sense in approaching issues and our forbearance this far will bear testimony to this.

However, our earnest request for intervention of the GoI on the urgent and grave situation that has been created by the Communal Manipur State Government in the Naga  areas in the present state of Manipur has till date been ignored and left  unaddressed.

It may kindly be recalled that the following demands had been placed to your office in the 6^th May, 2010, in a joint memorandum submitted to your office by the UNC, ANSAM, NWUM and the NPMHR(S) through the Sub-Divisional Officer, Mao – Maram Sub-Division, Manipur and followed up with another reminder on 17^th May, 2010 which was communicated electronically and also through the media to:-

1. Institute a judicial enquiry into the 6^th May, 2010 incident at Mao Gate, where two students were shot dead and more than a hundred peaceful protestors wounded by the Manipur State Armed forces.
2. Immediate withdrawal of the imposed section of 144 CrPC and demilitarization of Naga areas by withdrawing the Indian Reserve Battalion and Manipur Police Commandos.

Again, on the 15^TH June, 2010, in a letter addressed to your good office, the UNC had registered its strong protest against militarization of Naga areas by Manipur State Armed Forces and the continuing brutal atrocities by them while carrying out the communal mission of the Manipur State Government.

The agitation of the Naga people to protest against the communal agenda of the Manipur State Government was however responded at the home front with the declaration of Presidents of the UNC and ANSAM as “wanted” and fixing of rewards on them by the Government of Manipur, equating the Nagas demand for their democratic rights with a criminal act.

The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils(3^rd Amendment) Act 2008, a clandestinely doctored Act which was devoid of any autonomy and power and which subjected the Council to the pleasure/whim and control of the State Government  was imposed on the tribal people against their expressed wishes. A farcical Autonomous District Council (ADC) election was then enacted which was boycotted by the Nagas and when the 2008 Act and the ADC elections under it were rejected by the Naga people, instead of conceding to the demands of the people who are the stakeholders, as is the fundamental rule in democracy, the Communal Manipur State Government has made arrangements to make the ADCs functional from the Imphal valley. This confirms that the Communal State Government of Manipur has recognized the fact that the ADCs have not been accepted by the Naga people who are in the hills. Therefore by using some few self seeking Nagas, on the pretext of fulfilling constitutional obligation of putting in place the ADCs, the Manipur State Government has launched the continued deprivation of the tribals at a new and unprecedented dimension. This is adding insult to injury already caused to the tribals and the Nagas by the Communal State Government of Manipur.

Thus, given the unmistakable fact that the Nagas cannot continue to live under the administration of the Government of Manipur and protect their rights to their land, life and identity and also fully committed to the settlement of the Indo-Naga issue through a mutually respectable and honourable solution, the Nagas in Manipur have declared in the Naga Peoples’ Convention, the highest decision making platform of the Nagas in Manipur, held on the 1^st July, 2010, the severance of all political ties with the Government of Manipur and to seek the intervention of the GoI for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur State. The related documents had been transmitted electronically to your office for information and reference on the 3^rd of July, 2010 and we are sure that the GoI agencies would have also apprised your good office of the development.

The respect and the honour with which the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Home Minister’s request was conceded in temporarily suspending the Economic blockade has not been reciprocated with any proactive response by the Government of India. The confidence and good will towards the GoI have therefore been considerably eroded before the Naga people. Even after 39 days of the temporary suspension of the economic blockade, the issues highlighted above have not been addressed nor have any communication been made to indicate that the GoI has taken cognizance of them.

On the other hand, the external force of the Manipur State Government is continuing its intrusion and aggression with the continued militarization of the Naga areas in Manipur with the State’s Armed Forces, continued to hunt for the Naga leaders as criminals and instituted the ADCs for the tribals and the hills at Imphal Valley, making a mockery of democracy and insulting the sentiments of the Nagas.

In the light of the above, the UNC is constrained to submit this ultimatum whereby the GoI’s intervention within five days on the following issues should take place, failing which, having no other option but to resume the temporarily suspended agitation till the aspiration of the people is fulfilled: -

1. Institute a judicial enquiry into the 6^th May, 2010 incident at Mao Gate, where two students were shot dead and more than a hundred peaceful protestors wounded by the Manipur State Armed forces.
2. Immediate withdrawal of the imposed section of 144 CrPC and demilitarization of Naga areas by removal of the Indian Reserve Battalion and Manipur Police Commandos.
3. Removal of “wanted” tag and fixing of rewards imposed on Naga leaders.
4. Dissolution of the undemocratically instituted Autonomous District Councils.

May we make it explicitly clear that this step is the expression of our democratic rights and will be intensified in different forms and at different level till the issues are addressed in the right perspective. We further reiterate our strong commitment and support to the Indo-Naga Peace process to its logical conclusion.

Yours sincerely,

(SAMSOM REMEI)

President

Enclosed:-

1. Copy of Memorandum to Hon’ble Prime Minister, Government of India, dated 6^th May, 2010
2. Copy of Ultimatum to Hon’ble Prime Minister, Government of India, dated 17^th May, 2010
3. Copy of Memorandum to Hon’ble Prime Minister, Government of India dated 15^th June, 2010.
4. Copy of Joint Declaration of Naga Hoho, United Naga Council, Naga Students’ Federation, All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur, Naga Women’s’ Union Manipur and Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (South) dated 18^th June, 2010.

Copy for information to:-

1. The Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Government of India
2. The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Nagaland
3. His Excellency, Governor of Manipur
4. Mr. R.S. Pandey, Interlocutor
5. The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi
6. The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi
7. The President, Naga Hoho
8. The President, Naga students’ Federation
9. The President, All Naga Students’ Association Manipur
10. The President, Naga Women’s’ Union Manipur
11. The Convenor, Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (South)

(A.    ASHOHRII)

General Secretary