Manipur bristles over plea for land

IMPHAL, Jan. 11. — An all-party ‘peace-talks monitoring cell’ was set up here today with chief minister Mr O Ibobi Singh as its convener following what is viewed here as disturbing signals regarding the territory of Manipur emanating from the NSCN (I-M)-Centre talks.

“I will even give up my chief ministership if it would save the territory of Manipur from being divided,” Mr Ibobi Singh said. “We are are ready to meet the eventuality at any cost,” he added at the em-ergency meeting of all state political parties that was hastily convened at 10.30 a.m. at the CM’s conference hall here. It was resolved by all attending political parties that the “people of Manipur will unitedly oppose any attempt to parcel the territory (of the state) on the basis of area occupied by different communities”.

Representatives of national political parties also pledged that they would snap ties with their parent parties if they tend to “work against the interests of the state”. The parties also resolved to hold a special Assembly session if the need arises to avert a “break-up” of Manipur.

The CM, while reading out the resolution to the media, said Manipur within its present geographical confines has been in existence for over 2,000 years. It descended from the princely state that was inhabited by various communities, including the Meiteis, Tangkhuls (the tribe of NSCN(I-M) leader Mr Muivah), Maos, Kukis, Muslims and others, and was merged with the Indian Union in 1949. The state has always been home to different communities and thus cannot be parcelled, he said.

He said his government plans to take into confidence the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on the issue.

In Itanagar, PWD minister Mr Talo Mugli welcomed the peacetalks with the rider that the demand for Greater Nagaland is “not at all acceptable to the people and the government of Arunachal”.