Political parties in Manipur demand withdrawal of Indo-Naga Framework Agreement

August 29, 2018 317 Views No Comment

Source: Imphal Free Press

The core committee of all political parties in state has demanded the Centre to withdraw the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement and urged the state government to hold a special Assembly session to resolve the ‘inconclusive’ issues of Manipur University, border pillar dispute and Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 besides the Naga issue.

The committee has demanded for an Assembly session by September 15 on these matters. It also announced it would convene a state level convention on September 22 with experts and people from various sections to take decision over the issues in Manipur.

The committee which was recently formed, to fight for peoples’ cause on state issues, claimed that the Centre has betrayed the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for the sake of appeasing a single militant group (NSCN-IM).

Talking to reporters today at Manipur PCC office, the committee convenor, R.K. Anand said talks of extending Article 371 (A), sixth schedule or other similar act and giving of special status to Naga community in Naga inhabitant areas are an outcome of the Naga accord, and has been a cause of apprehension amongst the public regarding the state’s integrity.

The Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 to settle decades’ Naga issue, he added.

Anand asked, “How can we believe that the agreement will not affect the state’s interest if it is kept secret?”

Asserting that the Centre’s statement of giving a special status to Naga community by giving them autonomous status is a big threat to the integrity of the state, the convenor opined it as a move to make a state within a state. The civil voluntary organisations have been opposing against this possibility, he added.

Former MLA, Ng. Bijoy supplemented that the 213rd report of the parliamentary committee of Home and External Affairs mentioned that Article 371 (A) of the constitution makes it very clear that the people of Nagaland are special and a similar status have been accorded to them. A similar kind of status with some local variation and some changes to Nagas in the neighbouring states can be explored, he added.

Such statement of the parliamentary committee clearly shows the extension of Article 371-A or other similar act in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, he added.

He highlighted that the parliamentary committee report stated that the committee also recommends that the government should nevertheless proactively stay prepared for any kinds of scenario that may emerge in the aftermath of the agreement and keep the security forces and intelligence agency alert.

“What is the meaning of the recommendation if the agreement is not going to hurt the interest of the entire population of the neighbouring states?” asked Anand.

CPI Manipur leader, M. Nara stated that the committee is not a political alliance, it is a committee of likeminded political parties formed to clinch Manipur issues.

The committee was formed on August 16 by joining 11 political parties which includes Congress, CPI-M, CPI, North East India Development Party (NEIDP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal Secular, All India Trinamool Congress, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

NEIDP withdrew from the committee and joined hands with BJP yesterday.

As the post of a convenor among three convenors was vacant, the charge of vacant convenor’s post was given to Kavita of BSP.