Talks ‘inconclusive’ on opposition to creation of 7 new districts in Manipur

Imphal, Jan 30: A crucial tripartite meeting between the Centre, Manipur government, and the United Naga Council (UNC), over the Naga body’s demand for rollback of the “arbitrary creation” of seven new districts in the state, was held today, an official said.

A senior Manipur Home Department official said that after the threadbare discussion, it was mutually agreed that a proposal would be presented by the representatives of the state government in the next round of tripartite meetings which would be held in April.

In Thursday’s meeting, held in Naga-dominated Senapati district, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) advisor, North East Affairs, A. K. Mishra, Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh and Home Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar, four Naga community leaders including UNC’s President N.G.Lorho and General Secretary Vareiyo Shatsang were present.

The previous round of tripartite talks, held on November 29 last year, did not yield any result.

Those controversial seven districts were created on December 8, 2016, by the then Congress government led by three-term Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh (2002-2017) amid opposition from the UNC, the apex body of Naga tribes in Manipur.

The UNC has been strongly opposing the creation of the seven new districts, claiming that those districts encroached upon the ancestral territories of the Nagas.

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