AMSU to fight ceasefire extension tooth and nail

IMPHAL, January 23: The All Manipur Students' Union, AMSU has strongly objected to the proposal of the extension of ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) to other Naga inhabited areas of the Northeastern region. A memorandum to this effect was sent today to the Prime Minister, the Union Home minister and Chief minister of Manipur by Premananda Yumnam, general secretary. The question of ceasefire jurisdiction has been a bone of contention. Because the NSC (IM) is planning to create a separate state of Nagas comprising large areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Earlier these governments had opposed it since it is the first step towards the creation of greater Nagaland. But Manipur had its territorial boundary before the establishment of Indian Union. Though Manipur was under the British rule from 1891 to 1947, the Britishers had recognised and honoured Manipur's territorial integrity. The defined territorial boundaries were recognised and reserved even after Manipur became a part of the Indian Union under the Manipur merger agreement. The memorandum says that Article 2 (4) of the UN charter, 1945 and the Vienna Convention on the laws of treaties, 1969 clearly say that the territorial integrity, sovereignty, etc cannot be changed or altered except by the mutual consent of the parties concerned. The existing territorial boundary was reaffirmed by the Manipur National Assembly in 1948-49. It further resolved to protect Manipur's territorial integrity on March 24, 1995, later on 11th and 14th July 1997, the Assembly resolved to protect and preserve the territorial integrity. Over 500,000 had taken out a mammoth rally on August 4, 1997 for the protection of Manipur's territory. Thousands of persons courted arrest the same year on August 13 in New Delhi. Another rally cum public meeting was held on September 28, 2000 for the protection of Manipur's territory. AMSU condemns the conspiracy between the Indian Government and the NSCN(IM) leaders to dismember the 2000-year-old territory of Manipur. The students will use every means to prevent it. The Indian leaders will be held squarely if responsible if there are undesirable fallouts of the appeasement policy to the NSCN(IM) and its leaders, said the memorandum.