Manipur groups reject border rejig panel

IMPHAL: The agitating Sadar Hills District hood Demand Committee (SHDDC) and the United Naga Council (UNC) have categorically opposed the state chief secretary-headed Committee on Re-organization of Administrative and Police Boundaries (CRAPB).

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh had promised the SHDDC that a final decision on creating Sadar Hills district would be made after the CRAPB submits its report within three months. Incidentally, none of the leaders from SHDDC and UNC attended the scheduled public hearing of CRAPB to seek public opinion on reorganizing boundaries. It was held at the office chamber of chief secretary DS Poonia on Thursday.

In pursuit of its decades old demand for creation of Sadar Hills district, the SHDDC has been imposing indefinite economic blockades on national highways 39 and 53 since August 1.

A conglomerate of several Naga social organizations in the state, the UNC has been imposing similar blockades on all national highways in 'Naga areas' to protest against the state government's alleged attempt to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas to create new districts in Manipur.

The UNC, which submitted a memorandum to Union home minister P Chidambaram on the matter, said "Every Naga village and tribe have their own distinct territorial boundary and jurisdiction. There has never been any confusion on the ancestral land of the Nagas - be it among the Nagas, the neighboring communities or the state government."

The document said the Nagas have all along been fighting against the arbitrary bifurcation and division of their land without their knowledge and consent. The apex Naga body, however, said the ownership over their own land must be recognized and respected and any attempt to further bifurcate their land on the ground of administrative convenience without consulting the traditional owners will be resisted tooth and nail.

"Nobody has the right to demarcate the ancestral land and boundaries of the Nagas without the conscent of the Nagas. Hence, none of the UNC representatives took part in the public hearing held in Imphal on Thursday," he said.