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Manipur : Naga students on warpath over language issue

	July 10, 2006

Naga students campaigning for affiliation of schools in the four hill districts of Manipur to the Nagaland Board of School Education are planning to set ablaze textbooks prescribed by the Manipur board on Monday, July 10, in a show of defiance against the Okram Ibobi Singh government.



Sources said on July 7 the district units of the students’ union would stage demonstrations at the district headquarters of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel.





The Ibobi Singh government has already launched a crackdown on private schools that are allegedly following textbooks used in Nagaland, ignoring the syllabus prescribed by the Manipur Board of School Education.



The demand by NGOs and student organisations is meant to add strength to the NSCN (Isak-Muivah)’s demand for the integration of all Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with Nagaland.



In Nagaland, the Naga Students Federation (NSF) accused the Manipur government of “distorting” history. This, the NSF claims, has necessitated the change in syllabi.



A delegation from the United Naga Council, the apex organisation of Nagas residing in Manipur, and student groups is camping in New Delhi for an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.



“We hope the Centre understands the issue and allows affiliation of private schools to the Naga Board of School Education,” Ansam president Paul Langu said over phone from Senapati.



Langu said students are gearing for a series of protests in all four districts and will press for a change in syllabi by the next academic session.



Unofficially, the student union has already distributed textbooks printed by the Nagaland government to 4,000 students in public schools of these districts.



During a recent meeting of its consultative committee for peace, the Neiphu Rio government urged the Centre to allow affiliation of private schools in these four districts of Manipur to the Nagaland board.



Rio said New Delhi must allow the changeover because it was “the will of the students”.



The affiliation of a state school to the board of another state depends on the discretion of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.



The NSF also asked the Manipur government “not to impose its will on the hill districts and particularly on the Nagas”. The Naga Mothers Association echoed the student organisation.









Three parties to merge



The decks have been cleared for the merger between the Manipur People’s Party (MPP), Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) and the Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party (DRPP), but the ruling Congress does not consider the combination to be potent enough to dethrone them.



The Congress is confident of returning to power in the next state Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year

“Everything is nearing finalisation. The new name of the unified political body would be announced within this month itself. Once we come together it would be a major force in the next state Assembly,” announced Nimaichand Luwang, convenor of the preparatory committee for unification of regional parties on July 4.



“The hurdle in the process was factionalism within the MPP. Now the differences have been sorted out,” Nimaichand, leader of the MPP legislature wing, said.



However, the Congress, leading the two-party Secular Progressive Front (SPF) coalition dismissed the move as “en exercise in futility.” Congress leaders said combined strength of the three regional parties would not be a threat to their party. “The number of regional parties in Manipur is more than the combined strength of the members of all the regional parties. Regional parties have mushroomed and one has lost count of the numbers. The proposed merger is as good as an unborn child. We don’t face any threat,” Manipur PCC president Gaikhangam said.



The Congress’ dismissal of the proposed merger is not without any solid reason. Three other regional parties have not responded to the merger move. Besides, the state has one unit of almost all the national parties, including a unit of Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s RJD.



On top of this important leaders like Gangmumei Kamei, former minister and founder president of the FPM resigned from the party following the merger move.



The FPM with 13 legislators is the largest Opposition party in the Assembly. However, insiders said that several of the sitting MLAs were ready to join other parties particularly the Congress before the election.



Leaders in the three regional parties are hoping that one more party - Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) would join the unification process.



However, even though the Congress has dismissed the merger it has intensified its preparations for the elections.



At present the Congress is holding district level conventions. The Manipur Congress president said a state level meet would mark completion of the first round of the preparatory campaign for the election with a state level convention in Imphal. He said AICC president Sonia Gandhi would attend the convention.