The BJP-led Manipur government is set to come up with a proposal on the demand for cancellation of the 2016 decision to form seven new districts in the next round of talks, according to a joint statement issued by the representatives of the Centre, state government and the United Naga Council (UNC).

The statement was issued after the third round of tripartite talks held in Senapati on Thursday. It said that “after a threadbare discussions, it was mutually agreed that a proposal will be presented by the representatives of the State Government in the next tripartite meeting, which will be held in the month of April 2025”.

A representative of the UNC, an apex body of Naga people living in Manipur, who participated in the meeting, told The Telegraph that the “proposal will be on how to resolve issues related to the creation of new districts, the steps to be taken to resolve the issues triggered by the new districts”.

The seven districts included Kamjong, Pherzawl, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Noney and Jiribam.

The UNC has remained steadfast in its opposition to the creation of the seven new districts by the Ibobi Singh-led Congress government on December 8, 2016, from the outset. They had responded to the then government’s decision by imposing a 139-day economic blockade in the protest because the decision had “adversely impacted” the Naga ancestral land and “dishonoured” four past agreements with the state government.

Thursday’s joint statement also said the “discussions/ deliberations focused on the creation of 7 new districts by the Government of Manipur vide Notification No 16/20/2016-R dated 8 December, 2016, and UNC’s demand for rollback of creation of the new districts”.

The first round of talks were held in Delhi on February 3, 2017. All 10 rounds were held till 2018. The talks resumed in Delhi on October 11 last year after a long hiatus followed by another one in Senapati on November 29.

A joint statement issued after the November meeting had said “representatives of the government of Manipur expressed inability to present a concrete proposal in view of certain difficulties. However, UNC expressed strong exceptions over non-submission of a concrete proposal and insisted that it be submitted in the next rounds of talks”.

The UNC had called a 48-hour total bandh seeking resumption of the tripartite talks in October.

The protest was suspended following a request by the state government and the MHA followed suit by inviting the UNC for the talks in Delhi on October 11.

Thursday’s joint statement, signed by MHA adviser (NE) A.K. Mishra, Manipur chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Manipur home secretary N. Ashok Kumar, UNC president NG Lorho, general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur, M Luikang Luckson, and Naga Women’s Union president Ch. Priscilla Thiumai, showed the state government has agreed to “present” a proposal in the next tripartite meeting.

“We can say that some headway was made today with the proposal commitment. The creation of the new districts dishonoured four MoUs signed between the state government and the Naga people in 1981, 1992, 1996 and 1998 that our people will be consulted while creating new districts. Even the MHA said in 2011 that all affected stakeholders would be consulted before creating new districts,” the UNC member said.

The seven new districts were carved out of the nine existing districts of the state which is currently passing through one of its worst turmoil due to the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos, that has left at least 260 dead and displaced over 60000 since May 3, 2023.

Meet with CSOs

Chief secretary Singh on Thursday met leaders of civil society organisations (CSOs), medical and education officials in Kangpokpi district and stressed the importance of collaboration and mutual cooperation,
officials said.

He sought suggestions from the CSOs on feasible solutions to the problems faced by the people and assured that the government was committed to resolving
the issues.

The meeting served as a platform for open communication and collaboration between the government and various organisations, an official statement said.

Singh was accompanied by DGP Rajiv Singh and commissioner (home) N. Ashok Kumar.