Those who are demanding for a separate Kukiland or greater Nagaland should make their demand in Myanmar, Mizoram or at Nagaland respectively, and the United Committee Manipur (UCM) invites the community leaders to seriously discuss the matter on a platform, said UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam on Saturday.
Joychandra was speaking to the media at its head office located at Lamphelpat, Imphal West.
Manipur has its history of over 5,000 years and various communities, including Meeitei/Meitei, Tangkhul, Khongsai, Aimol, Cothe, Mao, Maram, Kabui and others had been living together. However, some people, out of vested interests, started demanding for a separate homeland which could affect the territorial boundary and integrity of Manipur, he added.
UCM cautioned those who are making various demands, including a separate state or autonomy to the Manipur government and Central government "with a community based agenda", to stop trying to create enmities and hostilities among the ethnic communities of Manipur, he added.
UCM, which is an apex body of different civil society organisations, Meira paibis and others, was formed to save the territorial integrity and boundary of Manipur after the June 18 incident.
If any issue which could affect territorial integrity or boundary of Manipur crops up, then the UCM is prepared to make supreme sacrifices to save Manipur, he added.
It may be mentioned that Kuki outfits have demanded for a seperate Kukiland in the state, though the demand has been scaled down to the creation of a 'territorial council'.
In Nagaland itself, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) is also demanding for a “Frontier Nagaland” state.
UCM’s move on Saturday came following a rare joint statement issued by three top NSCN-IM leaders, elaborating on the ‘Framework Agreement’ of 2015 on Friday.
The joint statement was signed by NSCN-IM chairman Q Tuccu, vice chairman Tongmeth Wangnao and general secretary Th Muivah.
It stated that the Government of India proposed for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful coexistence of the two entities by recognizing the national identity of the Nagas and admitting that the Naga people had rejected the Union of India offered to them by the Constituent - Assembly of India.
The joint statement also said, “By inclusive, it means - it embraces all Nagas wherever they are including all political groups.”
It added, “By new relationship, it means a new relationship based on the Framework Agreement”. “By coexistence of the two entities, it means - coexistence of two peoples- Indian people and Naga people,” the joint statement of the three NSCN-IM leaders added.
On the questions of ‘Naga National flag and constitution’, “it is a common knowledge known to the Indian leaders too that flag and constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty,” the statement also said, adding, the statement added that there should be no ambiguity about it.
“Hence, competencies are being worked out on the principle of the Framework Agreement,” it added.
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