The Naga bodies in Manipur will hold talks only with the Union government and not the Manipur government, the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) stated on Saturday.

It made the statement after spurning the offer of talks by the Manipur government and the Union Home Ministry.The ANSAM said the Manipur government's overture to the Naga leaders was rejected with a wildcat strike in Senapati district called by the District Students' Association. This stand was in accordance with the resolution adopted at a July 1 public meeting of the tribals.

The Naga bodies had imposed a blockade on Manipur for 68 days. The Naga Students' Federation, based in Nagaland, had imposed its own blockade to protest the Manipur police having prevented a team of Nagas that entered Manipur on May 3 to “watch the situation” ahead of the proposed visit to Manipur by NSCN(IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah. The Naga bodies demanded that the results of the Autonomous District Council elections be nullified; the State forces be withdrawn from the “Naga areas;” and a judicial inquiry be instituted into the killing on May 6 of two tribal students at Mao Gate.

L.P. Golmei, Principal Commissioner, Tribal Development, told The Hindu that the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971, had been amended in 1975, 2006 and 2008. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi said the Autonomous District Council elections, held after 20 years, were meant to give tribal representatives full financial and administrative powers for speedy development of the tribal areas. The Hill Areas Committee chairman, of the rank of a Cabinet Minister, had the final say in all tribal affairs. If the United Naga Council and the ANSAM favoured some amendments, a solution could be found through talks, he said.

However, Sports Minister N. Biren said that without elected bodies in tribal areas, armed militants were extorting money meant for development works. The blockade, “temporarily suspended” on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention, was re-imposed on August 4 by the United Naga Council.

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