United Naga Council demands President's Rule in Manipur

New Delhi: The United Naga Council, which represents the Nagas living in Manipur, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday and demanded that President's Rule be imposed in the state in the wake of ongoing violence in the Imphal Valley.

The delegation will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday. It termed the creation of seven new districts as illegitimate as the Hill Area Committee was not consulted -- mandatory under the Indian constitution.

"The state government, without consulting the Naga people, created the districts mostly by bifurcating the Naga districts. This is against the promise under four various memorandums and a written assurance by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2011 that without consulting the stakeholders no administrative setup decisions will be taken," said K.S. Paul, former UNC president.

He said: "We have met the Home Minister and sought his immediate intervention. The Nagas won't tolerate the division of land and creation of new districts. We demand President's Rule in the state of Manipur."

Manipur's Imphal valley has been simmering under violence after the Congress-led state government declared the creation of seven new districts -- Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Tengoupal, Pharzol, Kakching, Noney and Kamjongin. 

A blockade has been called by the Nagas to oppose the state government's decision to create Sadar Hills and Jiribam as full-fledged districts, which the UNC claims will bifurcate the ancestral lands of the Nagas living in Manipur.

Asked about Rajnath Singh's response, Paul said: "He (Rajnath) said he is aware of the entire situation."

Referring to the recent violence due to which several Naga students were stranded in Imphal, the leaders said that even Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has not provided any security force to bring the situation under control.

"The CM has been only appealing to maintain peace but has not been doing anything to provide security forces to stop violence," said the leaders.