Territorial integrity: PM's assurance to Manipur
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 26 — With the Centre having initiated a dialogue with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-I-M), Manipur has expressed apprehension that the process may eventually cast its shadow on its boundaries.

An all-party delegation from the State, led by Chief Minister, W. Nipamacha Singh, met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other senior ministers and was assured that there would be "no disintegration or disruption of Manipur".

Addressing a news conference here today, the Manipur Chief Minister said the apprehension of the people of his State arose from the purported statement of negotiator, Swaraj Kaushal that the ceasefire between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) knew no boundaries.

In a three-page memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the delegation said "fully armed NSCN cadres are roaming around in some hill districts and areas of Manipur in the name of ceasefire and recruiting mercenaries by force. The spread of the NSCN influence is an indication of impending claim and the subsequent grant of 'greater Nagaland', we suspect."

The Chief Minister said the delegation which called on Mr Vajpayee to express their viewpoint was assured by the Prime Minister that there would be no disturbance in the territorial integrity of Manipur.

The "greater Nagaland" demand extended to some areas in the neighbouring States of Assam and Manipur.

The delegation said its apprehension grew after a statement by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani to a question by Mr Chaoba Singh, MP, regarding the extent of the ceasefire. The memorandum described the Home Minister’s reply as "delightfully vague".

He demanded that the ceasefire must be limited to Nagaland only as was stated by former Prime Minister Mr I.K. Gujral in Parliament last year.

To a question as to why the state government was not taking action against the insurgents since law and order was a state subject, the Chief Minister said it was the Army which controlled the hill districts.

Mr Nipamacha Singh also said he suspected that the Army was not willing to check the movement of the insurgents from Nagaland since the ceasefire was in operation.

In this connection, the delegation also called on Defence Minister George Fernandes who assured it that he would take it up both with the Prime Minister and Home Minister L.K. Advani.

The delegation in the memorandum said Manipur has a history of 2000 years with clear boundaries and urged that the "geographical entity of Manipur should not be bargained off".

The delegation, which included State leaders of 12 political parties, also met Mr Advani, Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Home Minister, Indrajit Gupta, the CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan, CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet and BJP President Kushabhau Thakre among others.