[Reader-list] PRESS RELEASE May 6, 2010:Demand for Judicial Probe into firing at Mao Gate, Manipur

[sushmita kashyap]

Dear all,


Please find below the press release of the emergency meet held by Indian
civil society and human rights organisations in Delhi yesterday on the
escalating situation in Manipur. Even as I write, more innocent people, esp
women and children, are being killed and displaced due to reckless firing of
commandos. Last evening, Naga students unions and other civil rights
activists held a peaceful protest outside Manipur Bhawan,New Delhi and sang
songs while hundreds of policemen patrolled for fear that it might be
violent.


and yes, it was a peaceful rally.




in solidarity,
sk




*May 6, 2010*


*New Delhi *

*PRESS RELEASE*

*Demand for Judicial Probe into firing at Mao Gate, Manipur*

At an emergency press meeting held today at Constitution Club, New Delhi by
Indian civil society organisations, those present including Naga MLAs from
Manipur urged for peace but agreed that the situation is getting
increasingly volatile even as minority communities in Manipur feel presently
threatened by the heightened insecurity and historical discrimination.
Independent Naga MLAs from Manipur have resigned as they feel their
petitions to the Home Ministry have fallen on deaf ears. They are demanding
a judicial enquiry on the situation that led to the firing by the Manipur
IRB killing at least four persons and injuring several others at Mao Gate on
the borders of Manipur today (06/05/10). They said hastening of the
Indo-Naga Peace Process to reach an amicable solutaion acceptable to the
Nagas is the only way to resolve the present crisis.

Members of human rights, civil society and democratic organisations, that
included Tapan Bose, Gerneral Secretary of South Asia Forum for Human
rights, Kathmandu, Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy, Jawahar Lal Nehru University,
New Delhi, and others spoke at the press conference. While condemning the
firing and use of tear gas on Naga people at Mao Gate, Manipur, assembled
there to welcome their leader, Mr. Th Muivah to visit his native village and
other Naga areas in Manipur.

The deployment of large number of security forces at the state borders, the
unprovoked destruction of traditional welcome gates by the forces, and the
total blockage of transit of all travelers from Nagaland to Manipur have
triggered panic and insecurity among the local people and unnecessarily
heightened tensions between different communities in the region.

The present crisis began with Mr. Muivah’s visit that had the approval of
the Government of India (GOI). Soon, however, the illegal action of the
Government of Manipur in disallowing the visit created a dangerous situation
that directly negated the spirit of the Naga Peace Talks over the last 13
years.

Reportedly now the GOI’s Home Ministry has asked the Naga leader to cancel
his proposed visit.  This kind of flip-flop by the GOI is not going to help
the Indo-Naga peace process to progress at all.  The same kind of attitude
was witnessed in 2001 when the ceasefire between GOI and NSCN (IM) was
extended ‘without territorial limits.’  At the core of Manipur’s opposition
to the Indo-Naga Peace talks is the demand for integration of all Naga areas
into one administrative unit.  However, the promise of integrating all Naga
areas dates back to 1964 Agreement between the Federal Government of
Nagaland and the GOI.  The same promise was made again in the 1975 Shillong
Accord between GOI and Underground Nagas.

The speakers called upon lifting of the blockade of transport of goods and
people from the Imphal valley to the hills and at the Nagaland-Manipur
border that had caused great hardships to ordinary people.

Everyone present in today’s press conference felt the only way to deescalate
the tensions is to speed up the Naga peace process and bring about an
honourable and acceptable solution to this long-existing issue. Else the
volatile situation in Manipur might erupt in serious violence and damage the
hill-valley relations beyond repair.

Speakers at the press conference urged the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan
Singh to work towards achieving an amicable resolution to the Naga Peace
Process, something that he promised and hoped. It is imperative that GOI
intervenes judiciously to defuse the current situation and allow Mr. Muivah
to visit his hometown and other Naga areas in Manipur without any further
delay. This will pave the way for a respectable settlement of the Naga
issue.

The speakers alleged that Okram Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur was
using the situation to communally polarize the people for his own political
gains. They called upon him to desist from using force against Naga peoples
and withdraw the cabinet decision barring Mr. Muivah to visit Manipur.  The
Govt. of Manipur should work together with GOI to settle the Naga issue.

Naga MLAs from Manipur had earlier asked the CM to withdraw the illegal and
controversial decision of the cabinet disallowing Mr Muivah’s visit. In
Delhi, upon not getting an appointment with the central Home Minister or the
PM, they have sent in their resignations to the speaker of the Manipur
Assembly. They shared a letter they had sent to the speaker in the press
conference. The MLAs are: Mr W Morung Makunga, Mr Awungbow Newmai, Mr K
Raina, Dr Khashim Ruivah and Mr M Thohreii.



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-- 
Sushmita K