Tripartite Talks on July 22 at Senapati

Newmai News Network

SENAPATI | July 19

The tripartite talks on district creation issue involving the United Naga Council (UNC), the State Government of Manipur and the Central Government will be held on July 22 (Saturday) at Senapati district headquarters.

UNC sources informed Newmai News Network tonight that the Central Government “has invited” the Naga body today for the talks to be held on July 22. This time the tripartite talks on the district creation issue will be held at the ‘political level’, according to the UNC leaders.

Stressing on the “urgent need” for the government to take the matter seriously, the UNC leaders cautioned that “it will be a big mistake from the part of the government if it tries to take undue advantages because of our gesture.” The UNC leaders further said that the tripartite talks “cannot go on like this.”  They reiterated that the talks should be held in a “time-bound manner”.

It can be noted here that the tripartite talks on district creation issue which were scheduled earlier for July 10 at Ukhrul district headquarters were postponed. Apparently reacting to the prolonging of the tripartite talks the UNC had expressed its frustration on July 12. On the same day, the UNC had also informed the Naga people in Manipur “to remain alert to face any eventuality”. It had also alleged  that a party engaging in the tripartite talks was intentionally trying to sabotage the ongoing dialogue on district creation issue.

On May 19, the representatives of the Manipur Government, the Central Government and the UNC had agreed upon to hold tripartite talks on the district creation issue at the political level within a month’s time. The one month’s time frame to hold tripartite talks on the district creation issue had lapsed on June 19.

The UNC had also stated earlier that “since the new government of Manipur under the leadership of N Biren Singh and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre had assured us to redress the problems created by the communal Ibobi Singh government we are fervently waiting for the justice.”

In the last tripartite talks held on May 19 in Senapati headquarters, it was reaffirmed the “focal point No 1 of agreement arrived at in the tripartite talks on March 19, 2017” which states that “the grievances of the United Naga Council which led to the imposition of the economic blockade by them was recognized as there was non-adherence to the four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Government of India’s assurance on the matter. The Government of Manipur agrees to start consultation with all stakeholders to redress the same”.