A ministerial team that went to Senapati district in Manipur on Saturday to hold talks with the leaders of the United Naga Council (UNC) and the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) returned home disappointed after Naga leaders refused to meet them.
A recent Cabinet meeting had authorised N. Biren, Minister for Sports, T.N. Haokip, Minister for Information and Public Relations, and D.D. Thaisii, Minister for Tribal Development, to hold talks with the UNC and the ANSAM leaders.
The two tribal bodies had imposed a 68-day blockade, which was suspended on June 18 at the intervention of Central leaders. But the UNC re-imposed a 20-day blockade from Wednesday. The Cabinet decision was taken when the Naga leaders failed to participate in the roundtable the government organised on Tuesday. The Kuki tribals also boycotted it.
“Government ploy”
The Naga leaders told journalists that it was a government ploy to arrest them as the declaration of “wanted offenders” and the order of “proclaimed offenders” were still pending against them. A court had directed the State government to arrest them for imposing the highway blockade. Some Opposition MLAs had
flayed the government for trying to hold talks with the UNC and the ANSAM leaders who were “criminals” in the eyes of the law.
The Nagas had publicly announced that they did not recognise the Autonomous District Council polls.
