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06/05/2012: "‘Frontier Nagaland’ not viable: Chidambaram Eastern Mirror"
‘Frontier Nagaland’ not viable: Chidambaram Eastern Mirror
Home Minister P. Chidambaram has categorically stated that a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state as demanded by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) is ‘not viable’. This was informed by Home Minister Imkong L. Imchen over phone from Delhi.
A team led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had met the Union Home Minister Monday in Delhi on his invitation to discuss the matter of the ENPO’s memorandum for a separate state. The 15-member delegation included cabinet members, opposition legislators from ENPO areas as well as ENPO leaders.
Imchen said Chidambaram had categorically stated in the meeting that the demand of the ENPO for a separate state was ‘not viable’ and asked the State Government’s views on the issue. He also sought for proposals from the State Government for the uplift of the people and infrastructure development of the four districts under ENPO.
Chidambaram has also reportedly asked the State Government to hold proper consultative meeting with the leaders of the ENPO and to try and resolve the issue as well as correct past deficiencies.
The Union Home Minister is said to have told the State delegation that the Centre is ready to provide all necessary assistance to resolve the matter and also provide for the required infrastructure development of the ENPO areas.
Imchen further said Chief Minister Rio, on behalf of the State Government, once again reiterated its proposal to grant Autonomous Council status to the ENPO area and also to fasten the pace of infrastructure development.
Comments from the ENPO legislators were not immediately available.
A PTI report also quoted Home Minister Imkong Imchen as saying, “It was a very frank and constructive discussion. The Union Home Minister said a separate state is not viable but he is sympathetic for the speedy development of Eastern Nagaland.”
He also said Chidambaram has supported the idea of creating an Autonomous Council for the eastern Nagaland district for its speedy socio-economic development as suggested by Nagaland assembly.
The delegation included Minister for Roads and Bridges G Kaito Aye, Minister for Forest MC Konyak, Minister for Soil & Water Conservation P. Longon, Minister for H&FW Azo Nienu, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development Pangyuh Phom and Congress MLAs from the Eastern Nagaland region H. Chuba and Chingwang Konyak, as well as Chief Secretary Lalthara and other senior bureaucrats among others.
The ENPO had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister in 2010 with its demand while asserting that only a separate state for the six tribes inhabiting the frontier areas would bring about socio-economic development in the border region. It had again reiterated its demand during the visit of Union Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh to Mon recently.
Former Manipur ministers propose SC Jamir for president Our Correspondent Eastern Mirror
MPHAL, JUN 4: After former Speaker PA Sangma and Meghalaya governor RS Mooshahary, former Maharashtra Governor and Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir’s name has been proposed for the post of President of India.
Former ministers of Manipur RV Mingthing, RK Thekho, Laisom Lalit and a former army man RS Jassal, in a joint letter to United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has recommended the name of SC Jamir.
“There has never been any opportunity afforded to a person of Mongoloid origin to such an exalted prestigious office. SC Jamir is a very well deserving personality to be honoured. This is our plea. It will also bring North East into centre-stage from periphery,” reasoned the former ministers and veteran congressmen in their letter.
Some important leaders of North East interacted with us and we could zero in on our choice on a particular candidate from Nagaland whose achievements, qualities and personal traits could be considered by all national political parties, they said.
The Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples which represents 310 tribal organisations had proposed the name of Meghalaya governor RS Mooshahary as Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s successor. Tribal leaders from various political parties have also been appealing for a tribal to succeed the existing President whose term comes to an end on July 25. There are 53 tribal MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
NCP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma is trying to garner support for himself and has even mustered the support of parties like AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal despite his national leadership pouring cold water on his bid.
However, the two main national parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, are yet to decide on their candidates for the next occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan at Raisina Hills.
The Nagas of Manipur and the government of Manipur morungexpress
The relation between the majority Government of Manipur and the minority Nagas in Manipur is regretfully not in the best of terms; the blame rests on both sides for allowing the affair to come to such a pass. It started not long after Indian Independence and the Meiteis opting out of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The Manipuri Kingdom is ancient, more ancient than the Ahom Kingdom, which came into existence only with the advent of Sukhapa (Cho-lung Siu-ka-Pha) the Leader of the martial Ahoms to Assam in 1228 AD. By then Manipuri Kingdom was old and had even developed their own Script –Mayak to record their History.
Inadvertently and unintended, Nagas of Nagaland and Nagas of Manipur have mislead each other: The Nagas of Nagaland with NGOs galore without numbers, persons who think themselves somebody on this side of the Mao Gate, encouraged Nagas of Manipur and their enthusiastic NGO’s to be as uncompromising, if not as unreasonable, as they can be to the Government of Manipur.
When an African Hyena sees the support of its flock coming in aid, it is so emboldened even to sometimes dispute a Lioness of its ‘kill’. As a people of the same Family, Nagas of Nagaland has every support for their brothers and sisters in Manipur in their fight for Equality, Respect and Honor and in their Economic Development in the State of Manipur. But except for this moral and vocal support, the Nagas of Nagaland can do precious little in practical terms to help their kith & kin in Imphal other than open the Markets of Kohima and Dimapur and allow the purchase of Landed Property in Nagaland, which in strict legal term is not allowed.
The Land Tenure regulations in Nagaland is such that Land can be sold to no other people from outside Nagaland. However in this matter Nagaland treats any Naga even from outside and settling in Nagaland, as Naga Citizen of Nagaland. Nagas from outside Nagaland are welcome to Nagaland to prosper, increase and share in the Economic Development of the State.
The Nagas of Nagaland have however fed their kith & kin of Manipur with an over-doze of impressions of their support more than what they themselves can swallow. In every festival, in every meeting; in every public gatherings in Tamenlong, in Senapati or in Ukhrul, in Feats, in Crusades, in Faith Healing meetings, any who considers himself or herself somebody in Nagaland is given place of prominence and limelight as if their exhibited presence would bring down the whole Universe crushing upon power that be in Manipur: Nagas of Nagaland and Nagas of Manipur have unintentional, unintended and naively mislead each others as if they could bring down the Powers that be in Manipur if they could only work together.
The majority Meiteis of Manipur, themselves are to blame for quite an extent for the troubled relationship: Initially the Nagas of Manipur wanted to remain in Manipur did not like to participate in the NNC Plebiscite of 1951, they also did not join the NNC in refusing to join Indian Constitution Assembly and Boycott of India’s 1st General Election of 1952 when Mr. Rishang Keishing contested and won from Manipur. He is one of the 4 living Member of Parliament in 2012 and continues to support the preservation of Constitutional Boundary of Manipur.
The Meiteis themselves opted out off the Schedule Tribe of the accommodative Constitution of India on the ground of their very proud History and on the ground that they are no less Hindu than the Hindus of mainland India, despite their racial affinity with their neighbor Hillman.
Indeed the Meiteis enjoy very high respect and honor in the holy cities of Hardwar, Rishikesh, Varanasi and in the Dharamsalas etc for their orthodox practice of the Religion. But once outside these Cities, they are treated no better than the other Hill Tribes of the North East. They are discriminated, mistreated, endure name-calling like Chinkies or Foreigners, abused, their foods looked down and their dress, particularly for their non-Sari wrap-around, looked upon as unbecoming of an Indian. The Hindu Meiteis of Manipur suffer as much abuse in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangaloru as the other North East people.
The Constitution of India have job reservation Quota in the Public Service Commissions in the Centre and in the States for the Tribals under which the Hill Tribes of Kukis, Kipgens, Vaipheis, Hmars, Maos and Tankhuls, Zeliangs etc to name a few, got significant Posts in the Government of Manipur in preference over the Meiteis. More Engineers, Doctors and Administrative Officers were once from the Tribal Community than the indigenous native Meiteis in Manipur. In their own ancient Kingdom, the Meiteis found themselves working under their former Subjects.
In politics also, similar things was beginning to happening. Tribals Represented Manipuris in the Indian Parliament, more than one Naga became even the Chief Minister for several Terms and it became difficult for the Meiteis to get preferential Government Services from the General List. The Meiteis felt something serious has gone awry in their own State. They became more and more Meitei-Conscious and many even began to reject they are Hindus and feel they must do away with the suffix ‘Singh’ from every Manipuri Name. The Younger generations vigorously revived their ancient Script Mayak and try to impose it in every School in Manipur. And some fanatics even object to Christianity and do better than some Christians in Nagaland in pulling down Churches among the Meiteis!
To counter balance this, the Hill Communities in Manipur became more Tribe-Conscious of which the State has numberless. The Nagas in particular, under perhaps an un-accommodative recent Idea of Socialistic Nagalim based on Mao’s principle of ‘Political Power comes from the barrel of the Gun’ for Naga inhabited Areas to be torn out of Manipur, understandably create more nervousness between the Valley and the Hills.
In a way, my personal view is that the Meiteis of Manipur and Chief Minister Ibobi Singh have been fairly big hearted politically even in their thumping victory in the recent Assembly Election. Ibobi has given important portfolios to the rare precious few Tribals in the Government, a Naga has even been allotted the all important portfolio of Home.
It appears the State of Manipur will remain it is, as it is, for some time and it would be wise if the Minorities in Manipur work out accommodative common Issues of mutual benefit to develop the Hills and the Valley till a good time comes. Perhaps the Advice of the Prophet Jeremiah to the sad Jewish Exiles and Captives in Babylon nearly 3000 years ago has a meaning valid for the Hill Communities of Manipur particularly the Nagas:
Jeremiah said: “Thus said the LORD: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed”. Jeremiah prophesized the Jewish Exiles would return to Israel in 70 years and they did indeed.
Thepfulhouvi Solo
