Skip to content Skip to navigation

Tripartite talk on districts creation held

The crucial tripartite meeting on the pressing demand of rollback of creation of districts by the United Naga Council (UNC) was held at Senapati district headquarters on Tuesday. 

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Joint Secretary in-charge of NE, Satyendra Garg chaired the tripartite talks involving the Centre, Manipur government and UNC, the apex social organisation of the Nagas in Manipur.   

This time the tripartite dialogue was upgraded to political level by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with the hope to find a solution where all sides can win. 

UNC has strongly protested creation of districts, especially Kangpokpi district, after allegedly bifurcating “Naga ancestral land” by the previous state government headed by Okram Ibobi Singh. 

The Naga body has the contention that the then Manipur government had failed to take stakeholders into confidence while creating the new districts.    

It has also 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. 

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

The United Naga Council (UNC) had hoped that the August 11 tripartite talks must come up with a solution to the district creation issue. The negotiation aimed at finding a mutually agreeable solution to all concerned. 

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.

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.

Meanwhile, as the talks began at Senapati on Friday, thousands of people in Kuki-dominated  Kangpokpi district took to the street demonstrating against any attempt to roll back of the newly  created Kangpokpi district.

Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Sadar Hills submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, MHA Joint Secretary through the Chief Secretary of Manipur RR Rashmi explaining that the previous government had created Kangpokpi district for reasons of administrative convenience.   

The memorandum expressed opposition to UNC’s demand of rollback of district creation. Kangpokpi civil society is apprehensive about the demand by UNC that it could alter the current status quo of Kangpokpi.

The meeting started at 11 am in DRDA Hall, Senapati headquarters. The Manipur government in the meeting was represented by Additional Chief Secretary Home, Dr Suresh Babu, Tribal Affairs Minister, N Kayisii, IFCD Minister, V Hangkhalian, Education Minister ThRadheshyam Singh and IPR Commissioner K Radhakumar.  

UNC President Gaidon Kamei, General Secretary S Milan, All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) President Seth Shatsang and Naga Women’s Union President Asha Wungnam represented UNC in the talks.

 

 UNC reiterates stand 

Talking to journalists before the tripartite talks began at the venue, UNC President Gaidon Kamei expressed dismay over the recent statement by CM Biren Singh in the House.  The Chief Minister had stated “The Manipur government is not considering any reversal of the decision on the creation of districts.”  

Gaidon warned that the state government should not repeat such kind of statement in future. 

He said, “We want a workable solution. If somebody is trying to hijack the ‘peace process,’ we will not be responsible for any kind of eventuality thereof.”   

The following were agreed in the talks: 

United Naga Council (UNC) appreciates the Government of Manipur for complying with the 19th May Agreement of conducting the talks at the political level, while expressing resentment on some developments. 

In terms of the agreement of the 19th March, 2017 talks to redress the grievances of UNC in respect of the creation of new districts, the Government of Manipur will initiate appropriate steps in right earnest in this regard. 

The next round of talks will be held in September next. 

Both state government and UNC agreed upon to mutually respect the agreements signed in the previous talks to avoid any provocative actions till the dialogue process is taken to its logical end.

Author info

AT News Imphal's picture

Imphal. Manipur

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Ripun Bora interim PCC president

3 Jul 2016 - 12:43pm | AT News
Senior Congress leader Ripun Bora has assumed charge as Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s interim president a couple of weeks after president Anjan Dutta died of illness in New Delhi.   Party...

Campaign gaining more strong in BTC

1 Apr 2015 - 8:33pm | Hantigiri Narzary
As seven days has left to the scheduled April 8 BTC election, various parties and organisations are organising strong campaign for their candidates to contest the election. Promod Boro, president of...

Rush to Nepal

26 Apr 2015 - 9:55am | AT News
Hundreds of people from Assam are leaving for Nepal in search of their near and dear ones who have been remaing traceless after the massive strike that rocked the Himalayan kingdom. Over 3000...

28 in the fray in BTAD constituencies

26 Mar 2016 - 7:25pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Two independent candidates, one each from 28-Gossaigaon LAC and 31-Sidli LAC have withdrawn their nominations today and 28 candidates are in fray from four constituencies of Kokrajhar and Chirang...

Other Contents by Author

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...
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...
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...
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...
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/...
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
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...
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...
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.
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...