Nagaland Chief Minister seeks central government's intervention in current Manipur situation

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang has sought the intervention of both the Centre and Manipur government in securing the lives and property of Naga people in the Imphal valley of Manipur.

Zeliang in separate letters to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh on Monday drew their attention to the plight of hundreds of Nagas who are stranded in the Imphal valley and claimed that they were prevented from proceeding to their respective villages in the hills after threats to their lives by some valley based organisations.

“It is reported that several buses and other vehicles carrying Nagas have been stopped and torched. It appears that the law enforcing authorities in Imphal are not in a position to check or stop such lawless and violent activities which is endangering the lives of the Nagas in Manipur,” Zeliang wrote in a letter to the Union Home Minister.

Seeking immediate intervention of the Union Home Minister to ensure that the lives and property of the Nagas in the Imphal valley are secured, Zeliang assured that all steps were being taken by his government to safeguard the safety of the Meiteis residing in or travelling through Nagaland.

In a separate letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, lone Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland Neiphiu Rio alleged that the Naga community had been specifically targeted and there was obvious political motivation behind the well-planned attacks on the Nagas in Manipur where communal riots, arson, looting and serious human rights abuses were taking place.

Stating that thousands of people including students who are returning home for the festive season have been impacted, he regretted that even women and children were not spared.

Unfortunately, there was no semblance of law and order or presence of any law enforcing agencies to protect the innocents from the unlawful and anti-social elements, he alleged.

The urgent need of the hour was direct intervention of the Central government to ensure maintenance of law and order and security for the innocent public, Rio said.

Stating that the Central government can no longer remain a silent spectator, Rio demanded that a “high-level investigation team by an appropriate agency should be formed so that the spirit of democracy was retained and the culprits were punished as per laws of the land.”