SENAPATI, Sept 30: The United Naga Council (UNC) has declared a 48-hour bandh across all Naga regions, starting at midnight on October 3, 2024. This action responds to the contentious establishment of seven new districts in Manipur, created on December 8, 2016, during the Congress administration.
The bandh follows a 15-day ultimatum issued by the UNC to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding immediate action regarding the unresolved issues surrounding the new districts.
In a press statement released on Monday, the UNC asserted that the formation of the districts occurred without the informed consent of the Naga people, breaching four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Government of Manipur and the Naga community. It also highlighted that the assurances given by the Government of India in 2011 were disregarded.
The UNC emphasized that the bifurcation of existing districts to create the new ones undermined prior agreements and sparked significant protests. In response, the Naga community organized a series of hartals and imposed a 139-day economic blockade on national highways. Following these actions, 10 rounds of Tripartite Talks were conducted among the Government of Manipur (GoM), the United Naga Council (UNC), and the Government of India (GoI), with the last meeting held on March 9, 2019. The Manipur government had committed to presenting a concrete proposal in the following round of talks anticipated for July 2019, yet no progress has been made since then.
The press statement also states that the UNC reiterated its firm opposition to the “arbitrary, undemocratic, and divisive” creation of the districts, rejecting any decisions or rulings made by any institution or authority regarding the matter.
Despite their inclination toward dialogue, the UNC expressed disappointment over the lack of substantial responses to their concerns. “The Naga people believe in dialogue and have therefore repeatedly appealed to the concerned authorities, including the last ultimatum, to redress our grievances through talks. However, having received no concrete response to our plea thus far, the Naga people have resolved to call for a 48-hour Total Bandh to register our resentment and demand the immediate rollback of the arbitrary creation of seven new districts in all Naga areas, effective from midnight on October 3, 2024,” the UNC concluded.
The 48-hour bandh will impact all Naga areas, and the UNC has called for full cooperation from the Naga population. Essential services, media, and emergency cases will be exempt from the bandh’s restrictions.