Skip to content Skip to navigation

Uphill task ahead for Biren government in negotiating UNC

By AT News Imphal |

The United Naga Council (UNC) hopes that the next tripartite talks scheduled for August 11 at Senapati headquarters must come up with a solution to the nearly nine month-old issue on district creation.


The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoS) said the next meeting involving the state and central governments and UNC will be held at the “political level.” The upcoming negotiation aims at finding a mutually agreeable solution to all concerned.


But the Nongthombam Biren Singh headed BJP government in Manipur still has to face the uphill task of maintaining the status quo of the “Naga-dominated districts” as demanded by UNC. 


On December 9, 2016, the previous Okram Ibobi Singh headed Congress government issued a gazette notification creating seven new districts by bifurcating seven of the state’s existing nine districts, taking the number of districts in the state to 16.


Okram Ibobi Singh had stated that the creation of new districts was officially for reasons of administrative efficiency.


Incumbent Chief Minister Biren Singh recently said the government "will not consider reversal of the existing districts of the state which will remain the way they are."


The 139-day long blockade call enforced by UNC to protest the district creation was lifted in March after negotiations initiated by the BJP government after it took office in Manipur. The Naga body had hoped that the creation of the districts will be rolled back through talks.


The Naga body maintained that the Congress government did not consult the Hills Area Committee before taking the decision to create new districts that encroached upon the “ancestral land” of Nagas.  It says the creation of districts was an attempt to divide the Naga people.


Under Article 371 (C) of Indian Constitution, the Hills Area Committee must be consulted on matter relating to the tribal people.


“The Manipur government is not considering any reversal of the decision on the creation of districts,” Chief Minister N Biren Singh said recently.


The issue is whether the Biren Singh government as well as the Centre will be able to bring a compromise solution with the apex Naga body UNC in the upcoming crucial tripartite meet.

 


Analysts said, “This meeting will put to the test of the will of Chief Minister Biren Singh headed government and the NDA government at the Centre as well.”     

Author info

AT News Imphal's picture

Imphal. Manipur

Add new comment

Random Stories

Killer Karnail held in Tezpur

17 Feb 2015 - 5:05pm | AT News
Final Tezpur police have arrested Karnail Singh Kapoor on Monday a day after the Assam Rifles jawan shot dead two people in the town for refusing to serve him liquor.Police officials told Assam Times...

Fate of Ch’pr still uncertain

8 Oct 2015 - 4:07pm | AT News Imphal
The fate of the nine bodies of the Churachandpur protestors is still uncertain. Protesters told Assam Times that JPO is taking care of the bodies in the morgue where traditional herbs are being used...

AJYCP, others set to greet Sonia visit with protest

13 Jun 2008 - 4:03pm | editor
Preparations are completing for Congress president Sonia Gandhi's visit to Guwahati on Friday even as students organisations are set greet the visit with a statewide protest. Talking to Assam Times...

University course for security guards

15 Jun 2010 - 2:31am | Peter Alex Todd
With more and more business establishments, apartments, and other development taking place in Guwahati, security guards are now a common sight in the city. However the people in general yet to...

Other Contents by Author

Manipur Fishers Union Fume as NHPC Seeks Extension for Controversial Loktak Hydro Project

Imphal: The All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM), is up in arms against the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited's (NHPC) attempt to extend the lifespan of the Loktak Hydroelectric Project by 25 years without addressing long-standing environmental and human concerns. In a scathing press release issued today, ALLAFUM questioned NHPC's motives for seeking the green light from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change without consulting the Manipur government and the thousands of fisher and farmer families who have borne the brunt of the project's impact since its 1983 inception. The union pointed fingers at the Ithai Barrage, a key component...

Manipur tribal boody demands retraction and apology for publishing fake story by reputed publishing agencies

Lamka, Manipur - July 12, 2023: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has issued a press release today condemning the publication of a fake press release attributed to their organization. The false information, which was allegedly released by miscreants forging the ITLF's letterhead, was turned into a news story by the ANI news agency and published on the Times of India website. The published story, titled "Manipur violence: Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum extends apology to Ruin Zo people for 'misguidance, conflict with Meitei people'," has sparked outrage within the ITLF. The fake story falsely claimed that the ITLF had issued an apology to the Ruin Zo people for their supposed...

Manipur: Health Camp organised for Victims of Manipur Ethnic Violence

Churachandpur, July 4, 2023: The Rural Women Upliftment Society in Churachandpur, Manipur, recently organized a two-day health camp on July 3rd and 4th, 2023, to provide crucial medical assistance to victims of the recent ethnic violence in the area. The event was held at a community center to ensure ease of access for those displaced by the violence, which has left over 12,000 internally displaced persons residing in 106 camps throughout Churachandpur town.  On Day 2 of the health camp, a team of doctors and nurses offered their services to treat patients requiring medical assistance. Among the volunteers were two medicine specialists, two gynecology doctors, one pediatrician, and...

Sporadic Violence Continues in Manipur as Suspected Kuki Militants Launch Fresh Attacks on Meitei Villages

In yet another wave of violence, suspected Kuki militants have launched a fresh attack on Meitei villages in peripheral areas of Manipur. The militants, heavily armed and stationed at Napat area in Bishnupur district, opened fire in the villages of Sugnu area in Kakching district, resulting in a fierce gunbattle between security forces and the militants. Reports indicate that at least six police commando personnel sustained injuries during the exchange of fire. Tragically, four bodies of Meitei community members killed in the previous attack by suspected Kuki militants at Napat a couple of days ago remain unclaimed at Sugnu, as visiting the site is deemed unsafe. The volatile...

Silverlining in Manipur as Amit Shah visits Churachandpur

Imphal: A series of negotiations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah by a few civil society groups from the plains and hills is widely believed to have marked the beginning of an end to the ongoing bloodbath in Manipur on Tuesday. Civil society groups from the trouble-hit Churachandpur have learned to have agreed to remain calm as Shah on the second day of his visit to Churachandpur announced a probe into this orgy of incidents by a retired Supreme Court judge. Union Home Minister #AmitShah welcomed in Churachandpur with Kuki women forming a human chain along route from the helipad to the meeting venue in #Churachandpur, #Manipur Stay tuned to @ndtv @ndtvindia & https://t.co/...

Manipur on the boil: Podcast from Imphal

Listen to our podcast from Manipur. My state Manipur is burning, kindly help @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @rajnathsingh @republic @ndtv @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/VMdmYMoKqP — M C Mary Kom OLY (@MangteC) May 3, 2023

BJP assaulting history and culture: Gandhi

Imphal: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on BJP and RSS, saying they have assaulted the history, culture and language of Manipur. The Congress' star campaigner was in Manipur to drum up support for Congress candidates. Manipur goes to the polls on Feb 28 and March 5 in two phases. Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Hatta Kangjeibung in Imphal. He promised that Congress would protect the history, culture and language of Manipur. He also promised to revive the MSME sector and to provide one-third of its reservations to women, among others. The Lok Sabha MP further took a jibe at BJP and RSS for what he called their sense of superiority and...

NGO concerns on indigenous peoples rights

Imphal: The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRA) extends warm greetings to all the indigenous peoples in Manipur and beyond on World's Indigenous Peoples Day on 9th August 2020. At the foremost, CRA expresses our concern with the increased case of infection of indigenous peoples to Covid 19 infection, abetted by limitations in health infrastructure and inadequate testing facilities in Manipur. The increased loss of lives due to denial of urgent medical needs of non-Covid patients by medical establishments in Manipur on the pretext of following Covid 19 regulations is a matter of serious concern.  CRA also expresses our concern with the aggressive pursuance of...

Dire trouble for Biren Singh govt

Imphal: In a high voltage drama, at least 9 legislators have pulled out of the BJP-led coalition putting CM NBiren Singh in dire trouble. The drama began as soon as 3 BJP MLAs quit  the party and joined Congress.  Then 3 NPP ministers including DY CM Joykumar and an MLA have written to CM withdrawing support.   In yet another development a TMC and an independent MLA have also deserted the BJP-led coalition.

Community meet on ADB financed Road project in Tamenglong

The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur and the Phalong Village Authority organized a community meeting on "ADB Financed Road project m Tamenglong" on 23rd August 2019 at Phalong Village, Tamenglong District, Manipur. The community meeting was organized to assess the implications of ADB financed road projects, especially the Kangchup to Tamenglong road project in Manipur The villagers of Phalong (Bhalok) part I, II and III attended the meeting and deliberated on the social, environment and other implications of the road project in their respective villages. I lutenkum Panmei of Phalong Village expressed that the villagers are elated and much hopeful with the road project to connect...