Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has called for integration of Naga inhabited areas in the Northeast and Myanmar in a statement that could raise political temperatures in the region.
He was speaking at the Lui-Ngi-Ni, the Naga seed sowing Festival in Manipur's Ukhrul district where he was invited as the chief guest.
Nagaland Chief Minister Zeliang said: "The Naga society is currently divided politically by artificial boundary lines, as a legacy of British rule in India. Nagas are living in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. It is the expressed desire of the Nagas to have integration of all the contiguous Naga -inhabited area under one administrative unit."
He pointed out that the Nagaland State Assembly has taken resolutions to this effect on four different occasions.
"Territorial integration is not in our hands at the moment. But we should never give it up. We should always keep it alive. Let us remind ourselves that just as historical forces can make and unmake a nation, it can also make and un-draw national and state boundaries," he added.
Significantly, the Naga Seed Sowing Festival is an event propped up in the late 90's to strengthen and unify the 16 tribes of Manipur against the back drop of forging a common political future.
The Festival has grown in stature and importance with even the Government of Manipur declaring Lui-Ngi-Ni a state festival and 15th February as a state holiday.
Until this year, the festival have been a one day affair where tribal art and culture of Manipur was showcased. This year, the event has been made a two day event with chief ministers of Nagaland and Mizoram participating as chief guests.
It is not at all surprising that the presence of the Government of Manipur has been totally shunned out from the Lui-Ngi-Ni. After all, it had been the unwavering stand of the UNC, the United Naga Council, the apex body of the Nagas of Manipur, the chief organizer of the Lui-Ngi-Ni, that it wants nothing to do with the Government of Manipur and had been demanding alternative political arrangement outside the Manipur Government, alleging it a communal government.
Evidently, the cultural festival was made the platform for showing allegiance to the ongoing Indo-Naga Peace Talk, between the NSCN IM and the Centre, that has come to a framework agreement.
( Reported by Sunzu Bachaspatimayum)
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