Manipur News

Original Source: The Imphal Free Press

Sir,

At this time of boiling point, I wanted everyone to reason on the life attempt made on Wungnaoshang Keishing, MLA of Phungyar Assembly Constituency on April 15th, 2011 between Riha and New Canaan, P.S. Litan, Ukhrul District. The NSCN-IM has accused Wungnaoshang as defying the wishes of the people and betraying the Nagas, selling out the rights and future of the people, and the demand of Phungyar district by bifurcating Ukhrul district is contradictory to the issue of the Naga Integration. The NSCN-IM has also declared that Wuungnaoshang would be punished as he is challenging the authority of the Nation as he was one of the MLA signatory with the UNC during the last Manipur General Assembly Election in 2007 biding not to go against the interest and decision of the nation if elected.

The NSCN-IM has issued diktat in the last Manipur General Assembly Election that no Naga candidate should contest through Congress ticket but ironically, D.D. Thaisii and Gaikhanagm were elected, who are the only Naga Ministers in the Ibobi’s Government of Manipur at present. The said two Naga Minister has been working hand in glove with the Ibobi’s Government for the last five years. During these times Manipur Autonomous District Council (ADC) election has also been successfully undertaken inspite of the opposition made by the NSCN-IM and the Naga people. The ADC is effectively functioning still now though there is no Constitutional protection for the tribals of Manipur.

The UNC as a mouth piece of NSCN-IM had ordered to the Naga Councilors to resign from the post on or before January 31st, 2011 however the Councilors did not pay any heed to the decree of the UNC. Why is the NSCN-IM remaining a silent spectator? All the Naga MLAs had undertaken with the UNC during the last Manipur General Assembly Election in 2007 to work in the interest and decision of the Naga, if elected. Do all the Naga MLAs complying with the promises? Is Wungnaoshang Keishing the only MLA who is drawing salary and residing at the MLA quarter though the Naga MLAs had tendered resignation? Why is the ADC, Manipur allowed to function/survive so far?

Is it because many of the Councilors are related to the NSCN-IM senior leaders? On the other hand, the UNC has viewed that the demand of Phungyar district as a handiwork of the adversaries to vitiate and derail the Alternative Arrangement process. As such, the UNC has urged to withdraw the demand on unhealthy ground for the Nagas. Will the creation of Phungyar district contradict to the Naga Integration? Or will it derail the Alternative Arrangement? I don’t see that the creation of Phungyar district will effect or bring an adverse impact on the Naga Integration and Alternative Arrangement. The NSCN-IM and UNC are making unnecessary excuses for some hidden agendas.

The mass people under Phungyar A/C covering four sub-divisions are fully backing the demand for full-fledged Phungyar district as it will bring an upliftment and living standard to the down trodden and deprived Phungyar, Kamjong, Kasom Khullen and Sahamphung Sub-Divisions of Ukhrul district. The demand for Phungyar disitrct should not be mixed up with the issue of Naga Integration or Alternative Arrangement to confuse the people as there is no way that Phungyar district would be out of the box. I would rather observe that the NSCN-IM is against the demand of the Phungyar district as they wanted the undeveloped and deprive people to remain as it is, while they wanted all the privilege for themselves from the funds/schemes allocation for the Ukhrul district.

The creation of Phungyar district out of Ukhrul district would result in dividing the allocation of funds/schemes being sanctioned and it would affect the influence and income of the senior NSCN-IM leaders who are mostly from West and North Ukhrul. I like to question, how could the senior NSCN-IM leaders effort their son and daughter to study and stay abroad? Whether the land/plot being procured discreetly by the NSCN-IM senior leaders is for the Nation? What about the building? What about the Vehicles? What about the gold ornaments their wife and daughter are wearing? What about their lavish life style? Is it in the interest and wishes of the people and nation? Does money grow on trees in jungle for them? The NSCN-IM is hotly pursing against the Tangkhul factions mushroomed in Ukhrul district while they do not act anything with the other faction being cropping up in other Naga areas. Example- The Naga National Worker People Support Group (NNWPSG) of Senapati formed mainly by the Poumai and Mao Naga communities had rampantly operated and collected various taxes under the nose of the NSCN-IM while maintaining that the Poumai and Mao public leaders and NSCN-IM senior leaders, who hailed from Senapati, were talking with the NNWPSG to join the NSCN-IM.

After 4 years of dialogue, almost all the main leaders of NNWPSG have defected to the NSCN-K while, few useless cadres joined the NSCN-IM. Is it justifiable on the part of the NSCN-IM for not taking up any action against the NNWPSG on the ground that they would lose people support mainly from Poumai and Mao communities? The Poumai and Mao public leaders and senior NSCN-IM leaders had bamboozled the NSCN-IM for 4 years. Now the NSCN-IM has harvest the result of their injustice. Do the Tangkhul people has to die first when there are many other Nagas who are worse for the people and for the nation than Wungnaoshang Keishing, who wanted to bring some light to the down trodden and deprived people of Phungyar A/C.

Yours sincerely
S. Themshang
Nagaram, Imphal.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/je5QhqBv0WQ/