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North East: Naga peace process : Congress playing politics |
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The ruling Congress at the Centre which is engaged in a peace process with Naga militant outfit NSCN(IM) to resolve the decades old Naga issue was put in an embarrassing position last week when its state unit in Nagaland started playing politics on the issue. At its recently held general session, the party rightly pledged “full support” towards an early resolution of the Naga political issue, adding that all Naga underground groups must first be united.
However, in a controversial move, the state leadership adopted a resolution urging the Centre to “work towards the integration of all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas”, a stand which is quite in contrast with the Centre which has clarified time and again that there can be no alteration in the boundaries of the neighbouring states to solve the Naga problem.
The party’s central observer Ranji Thomas was present at the session. Bringing the Naga-inhabited areas under one administra¬tive unit is one of the main demands of the NSCN (I-M) in the ongoing peace talks with the Centre. But it cannot be considered as the bordering states, especially Manipur, have expressed strong opposition to any such proposal.
Manipur which is also by a Congress-led coalition, has slammed the Nagaland Congress for extending support to the demand for integration of all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas.
The decision comes at a time when the Ibobi Singh government is contemplating a special session of the Assembly to discuss a “Naga integration” memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmo¬han Singh by some Naga legislators from Manipur.
Six Naga MLAs and one Naga MP from Manipur submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister on July 18 to unify the Naga areas as part of a solution to the Naga political problem.
Ibobi Singh had agreed to convene a session to discuss the matter after the Opposition Manipur Peoples’ Party (MPP) urged both Governor S.S. Sidhu and the Chief Minister to discuss the memorandum in the House.
“The Manipur government at any cost would not compromise on the territorial integrity of the state. The Nagaland Congress move would strain the relationship between two neighbouring states,” Irrigation and Flood Control Minister N. Biren said.
He said the UPA government at the Centre has a policy not to change the boundaries of the states in the Northeast. “The Centre should not change its policy,” he maintained.Manipur PCC spokes¬man N. Mangi Singh termed the decision of his Nagaland counter¬part as “not a good gesture”.
The BJP criticised the Congress for harbouring double stan¬dards. “The Congress, which leads the UPA government at the Centre, maintains that Manipur’s boundaries would not be dis¬turbed. On the other hand, its Nagaland unit takes a decision against it. This is double standards,” the BJP’s state unit general secretary Tiken Singh said.
He said his party would not change its stand of protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur. It will submit a report to the central leaders on this development and take up the memoran¬dum issue, he said.
The CPI, a partner in the Okram Ibobi Singh government, also criticised the Nagaland Congress.”This is an exercise in futili¬ty. The UPA government’s stand on Manipur’s territorial integrity has not changed till today. So the Centre would not listen to the Nagaland Congress’s demand,” CPI state secretary B. Sharma said.
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