Nagalim: Leaders Meet Union Minister of Home Affairs
Leaders of the United Naga Council (UNC) met Indian Union Minister of Home Affairs Palaniappan Chidambaram to discuss their proposal for an alternative administrative arrangement in Nagalim
Below is an article published by The Times of India:
Leaders of United Naga Council (UNC) on Wednesday [11 May 2011] met Union home minister P Chidambaram at Ukhrul to voice their demand for an alternative administrative arrangement in the Naga areas of Manipur without bringing the state government into the picture. UNC president Samson Remei was among those who met Chidambaram.
UNC, which is a conglomerate of several Naga civil bodies of Manipur, submitted a memorandum to the home minister urging him to expedite tripartite talks on their demand. The first round of tripartite talks involving representatives of the Centre, state and UNC was held at Senapati on December 3 last year [2010].
The memorandum submitted to the home minister urged Chidambaram to urgently put into place an alternative arrangement for Nagas in Manipur, for which immediate resumption of tripartite talks is imperative. "We are making this submission to reiterate that Nagas in Manipur will accept nothing short of an alternative arrangement outside the state of Manipur," it said. "We further strongly urge your good self to expedite the process for putting the same in place, so that the principles of democracy and justice are assured to the Nagas."
UNC said its leaders met the home minister for 20 minutes, during which he assured the delegation that the tripartite talks are important, and added he was keenly observing the progress of the discussion. Chidambaram further said that dialogue should continue at a sustained level and with regularity, said the UNC statement.
The meeting concluded with the mutual agreement that the next round of talks would take place this month in Senapati district.
Besides holding the meeting with the Naga leaders, Chidambaram also inaugurated a mini-secretariat and a guest house in the Tangkhul-dominated district bordering Myanmar. Though chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh accompanied the home minister to Ukhrul, he did not join the meeting with the UNC leaders.
Chidambaram had on Tuesday attended a meeting with governor Gurbachan Jagat and the CM to review the measures taken to combat the law and order problem in Manipur.
