SENAPATI, Nov 10: The next round of tripartite talks among the United Naga Council (UNC), the Manipur Government, and the Government of India is set to take place in Senapati district on November 13 at 11 a.m. This meeting follows the recent resumption of discussions in New Delhi last month after a five-year hiatus.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notice to the UNC president on Friday, confirming the meeting. The discussions will continue to focus on the Manipur Government’s creation of seven new districts on December 8, 2016, which the UNC has opposed, demanding a rollback.
The October 11 talks in New Delhi included Ministry of Home Affairs Adviser (North East) A.K. Mishra, seven UNC representatives, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, and Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home) N. Ashok Kumar. Initiated in 2017, the tripartite talks have held 11 rounds so far without substantial progress.
The UNC, the apex Naga body in Manipur, had “temporarily suspended” its proposed bandh in Naga-dominated areas on October 3, following the recent resumption of talks. Earlier this year, on September 11, the UNC submitted an ultimatum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, pressing for a resolution and the rollback of the seven districts, which they contend were created arbitrarily by the Manipur Government.
