Nagas take to protest in Delhi, Northeast against unprovoked firing at Mao Gate; Ibobi role condemned

Two days after he deferred Manipur visit, NSCN-IM general secretary T Muivah has managed to rake up what the Manipur government has been fearing, the Naga integration issue. There are widespread protests in various parts of the northeast, and also in Delhi from various Naga organizations against the unprovoked firing on innocent and democratic procession at Mao Gate. The Nagas have demanded justice into the Mao Gate incident. Manipur government has given a walk over to NSCN-IM leadership by killing three Nagas in Mao Gate on Thursday. The killing has given teeth to the NSCN to raise their demand for unification of Naga dominated areas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Myanmar. Notably, Manipur’s Ukhrul and Senapati districts have been a matter of dispute between NSCN-IM and Manipur government over a decade after the militant outfit included the two districts in the map of Greater Nagalim. The unification of Naga dominated areas was one of the core issues of the NSCN-IM in the peace talks with Delhi. NSCN-IM general secretary T Muivah’s decision to visit his ancestral Somdal village in Ukhrul district was also an attempt to claim over the land of the two districts. However, he had to defer his visit at the intervention of Delhi at the eleventh hour. But the Mao Gate incident will be a flush point for the outfit as many Naga individuals and organizations joined in protest against Manipur government for the killing. There are protests in Nagalnd, Meghalaya and Assam against police action on innocent Nagas in Mao Gate. In the capital city Guwahati also, the Naga Students Union Guwahati took out a silent procession to register their protest. Although Muivah had to defer his visit, Manipur government will be in trouble for the Mao Gate incident as many organizations are mobilizing opinion against it. The NSUG which led Saturday’s silent procession demanded justice into the killing. Leaders of the student body felt every citizen has the right to go to any part of the country. They also criticized Manipur government for disallowing Muivah’s visit which had been approved by Delhi. The protesters had to confine their procession at Dispur after the police and the district administration obstructed them from proceeding to Manipur Bhavan. The student body has also susbmitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh through Kamrup Metro DC Pratik Hajela seeking justice into the killing. The NSUG also submitted another memorandum to Manipur chief minister O. Ibobi singh through resident commissioner in Guwahati demanding a probe into it. Saturday’s protest shows that the NSCN-IM leadership was able to create a mass opinion against Okram Ibobi Singh government in Manipur for the Mao Gate incident.

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