IMPHAL, May 5 – Various social organizations have come out strongly in protest of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s pledge to work towards “integrating all Naga inhabited areas as desired by the Naga people” while addressing an election rally in Dimapur on May 1. Denouncing the former Prime Minister and national president of the Janata Dal (Secular) as an “imperialist agent,” apex Manipur body, All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (amuco) stated, “it is really unfortunate that a political figure of Gowda’s stature should try to pass off the movement for self determination in the North East, especially that of the Nagas, as one solely concerned with division of land.”
Everyone knows that the problem in the North East is political and economic and needs an urgent solution, but all organisations and individuals have different interpretations of the problem and its solution as per their interests. This has made the problem worse, amuco secretary publicity Tompok Likmaba said. The amuco leader further appealed to all in the North East to stand united against all attempts of such imperialistic powers to divide the North East. He also called upon the various groups of people in the North East to sort out their problems through peaceful talks.
On the other hand, the All India Students Federation (aisf) has called upon the former Prime Minister to retract his statement. Political parties should not try to resort to cheap propaganda and set one community against another for the sake of a few votes, aisf secretary kh Inaobi Meetei said in a press release. It may also be mentioned that another students body, Manipur Forward Youth Front (mafyf) had locked up the jd-s state unit office here in protest and asked the former Prime Minister to clarify his statement within five days starting Monday.
“If the Janata Dal-Secular fails to give its clarification by the stipulated time, we will ban all its party activities,” mafyf president Sapamcha Kangleipal said. The integration of all naga inhabited territory is a vexed issue for the people of the north east especially for Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh which stands to lose much of their territory if the centre gives in to the nscn(im) demand for a “greater Nagaland” consisting of all Naga inhabited areas in the North East.
Meanwhile, the All Zeliangrong Students Union (azsu) of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland has appealed for the safe and speedy release of Zeliangrong student leader, Dr Sanganglung Xavier Pamei, who was abducted by unknown armed persons on May 1 last en route from his native village in Tamenglong district to Imphal. Dr Pamei who hails from Tolang village under Khoupum police station in Tamenglong district is also the convernor of the Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi unit. He was reportedly abducted on charges of voting for the bjp in the Lok Sabha polling in the outer Manipur parliamentary constituency on April 20 last. In its statement the azsu president G Ningthaodai further pointed out that the Union is a non-political social forum which keeps a strict distance from all political involvement.