Manipur's Naga Community Holds Protest Rallies, Demands Conclusion Of Peace Talks

Thousands of people from the Naga community took to the streets in four districts of Manipur and demanded early solution of the Naga political issues. 

The United Naga Council (UNC) took out rallies in four districts of Manipur on Wednesday

Guwahati: Amid ethnic unrest in Manipur, the United Naga Council (UNC), an apex civic body of Naga tribes in Manipur, took out rallies in four districts on Wednesday demanding early solution of the Naga political issues. 

Thousands of people from the Naga community took to the streets in Senapati, Chandel, Tamenglong, and Ukhrul districts demanding the successful conclusion of peace talks between the Centre and various Naga organisations based on the Framework Agreement.

The protesters also said they would never accept a separate administration for other communities in the Naga-inhabited areas of the state.

The UNC said it would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press their demands.

Thousands of people from the Naga community took to the streets in Manipur (Pallav Bora)

During the rallies, the protesters held banners and placards reading, "Naga flag, constitution and integration are inalienable rights of the Naga people", "Government of India stop playing divisive politics", "Nagas and their land are inalienable" and "we demand immediate political solution".

One of the protesters said the Centre was only paying attention to the ethnic clashes between two communities of the state but not discussing the long pending Naga political issue.

The UNC, in a statement, on Tuesday said that Naga peace talks with the government had made significant progress with the signing of the historic Framework Agreement between the Centre and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM) on August 3, 2015. 

However, the delay in signing the final agreement was a cause for concern and had the potential to derail the peace negotiation.

Greater Nagalim, along with separate flags and constitution, are the NSCN-IM's core demands. Greater Nagalim envisages the integration of Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

Hill areas of Manipur constitute 90 per cent of the geographical area of the state and is inhabited by the Naga and Kuki-Zo tribes.

Over 160 people have lost their lives and several hundreds have been injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.