March 24: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s call for a merger of all Naga-inhabited contiguous areas under a single administrative roof has once again ruffled the feathers of the three neighbouring Congress-ruled states.
Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have reacted sharply to the NDA-friendly Nagaland chief minister’s remarks on “Greater Nagaland”, saying that such a demand was unacceptable to them. They were of the opinion that the statement could only add to the “confusion”.
During his visit to New Delhi last week, Rio had suggested to the Centre that all Naga-inhabited contiguous areas should be merged with Nagaland, a demand equivalent to the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah)’s concept of Greater Nagalim. Rio’s Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) came to power after wresting control from the Congress, led by S.C. Jamir, in the recent Assembly polls.
Terming Rio’s comment as “nothing new” , Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said there was no question of compromising on the boundary of his state. He said the demand for a Greater Nagaland could not materialise.
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur have been continuously opposing any slice of their territory while bargaining for a solution with the Naga rebels. The NSCN (I-M), on the other hand, has been insisting that any future talks with New Delhi should focus on the core issue of Naga integration.
Talking to The Telegraph, Ibobi Singh said Manipur’s stand on safeguarding its territorial integrity “at any cost” still remained despite Rio’s remarks. He said the people of his state would not accept the concept of Greater Nagaland or Nagalim.
The Nagaland Assembly had earlier passed three resolutions demanding the merger of all Naga-inhabited contiguous areas under one administrative roof.
Ibobi Singh said, “The Manipur Assembly has also passed five resolutions vowing not to part with an inch of our territory and protect our boundary at any cost. We had another discussion on the issue of territorial integrity in the just-concluded state budget session.”
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, too, made clear his state’s opposition to the Greater Nagaland concept. “My government can never accept the Greater Nagalim even if the Centre exerts pressure on us. If required, we (three states) will jointly come out to oppose any merger plan,” Gogoi said in Guwahati.
Arunachal Pradesh education minister and the government’s spokesman, Takam Sanjay, said Rio’s remarks on such a sensitive issue without consulting his counterparts in the neighbouring states would only create more confusion.