UNC urges Nagas to boycott Congress

Imphal: Accusing the Okram Ibobi Singh-government of ‘deliberately’ denying the rights of Nagas, United Naga Council (UNC) has asked the Nagas of Manipur to boycott Congress.
This comes at a time when political parties have stepped up their campaign for the June 1 Autonomous District Council (ADC) election to the six district councils of Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati and Sadar Hills.
Except Sadar Hills and Churachandpur, the other districts are Naga-dominated.
A conglomerate of several civil Naga bodies of the state, UNC has been seeking an Alternative Arrangement (AA) for the Nagas in Manipur, pending a solution to the Naga political problem.
On February 6 last year, the 7th round of tripartite talks on AA was held among UNC, representatives of the state government and the Centre at the Senapati district headquarters.
It was decided that a high-level committee would be constituted to make AA for Nagas in Manipur a political reality, said a UNC statement.
The organization accused the Congress government of deliberately denying Nagas’ rights over land, history, identity, culture, traditional institutions and political aspirations.
“The Nagas are asked not to welcome Congress in Naga areas,” read a statement signed by UNC’s information and publicity secretary S Milan.
To press for its demand for an Alternative Arrangement, UNC had called a 48-hour bandh in the Naga areas of Manipur from the midnight of April 27.