In order to strengthen the workforce for preparation for ensuing “Dree” Festival at Itanagar, a sub-committee was constituted and work distributed during the general body meeting conducted on 29th of last month at “Dree” Ground, Pappu Nallah, Itnagar. The meeting was chaired by Sh. Tage Tado, Chairman, CCDFC.
The details of work distribution is as follows: Read More
- P. Liangmai
Most of Manipur has been religiously following the events in the Naga areas vis-à-vis the decision of the Manipur Cabinet opposing the visit of Th. Muivah, General Secretary, NSCN to his village and a few other Naga areas. The events have developed into a major point of confrontation between the Meetei dominated Government of Manipur, supported by Meetei civil societies and organisations on the one side and the Nagas on the other side.
What has escaped the popular perception of the impasse—that it is just between the Nagas and the Meeteis—is that a lot is at stake for the whole tribal population of Manipur.
Intellectual inputs into the issue, mostly in local papers based in the Imphal Valley, have been a one-sided Meetei centric understanding and analysis of the political history of so called “Manipur”. In all their writings, they have espoused the myth of the “integrity” of Manipur. However, a lot of questions remain unanswered.
Let us start with the basic concept of who a “Manipuri” is. Are the Kukis, Hmars, Zos, Nagas, Baites, and the many other non-Meetei tribes, purely by virtue of being within the present day colonial powers drawn boundaries of Manipur, Manipuris, as the Meetei scholars would want the world to believe? What is the underlying logic or rationale that defines who a Manipuri is?
Is it culture? If so, then surely it is not just the culture of the Meeteis that should be discussed when postulating the myth of Manipur for there are certainly many cultures at play here.
Is it political affiliations? Again if so, even the Meeteis themselves are politically aligned to different political viewpoints. Take the numerous armed groups fighting for “Kangleipak”. Even within themselves, there is no clarity or consensus in their conception of “Kangleipak”. Further, it is not just the Nagas struggling for their rights, there are many other tribes diametrically aligned against the chauvinism of Meetei policies. Against all these, can we say that everyone politically agrees to the concept of Manipur?
Is it history that defines who a Manipuri is? If this is the case, whose history are we going to pick? The history of the dominant Meetei population? Even within the history of the Meeteis themselves, are we going to talk of the different narratives of the history of those from Moirang, Kakching, Sekmai or just about the history of those from the Kangla area borrowed from Hindu myths? Even if the history is going to be a general history of those in the Imphal valley, we certainly need to retell the history of subjugation, rampage, mass extermination, and torture meted out to those living in the hill areas by the Meetei Maharajah.
Is it self-identification? If so, then shouldn’t the right to self-identification be equally applicable to all the tribes living in the hills and not just the Meeteis? Why should the identity of the many tribes in Manipur be forcefully subsumed or subdued when the political interests of the Meeteis is at stake? Why should the Meeteis forget this so called “Manipuri” identity when it comes to the distribution of developmental funds and benefits? Why should more than half of the budgetary allocations for development of Manipur be for the development of the valley and not for the outlying hill areas? Surely, the tribes living in the hills have equal rights to development as the Meeteis in the valley.
The fact is, the concept of “Manipuri” is a creation of the Meeteis for their own political and economic convenience. The Meeteis, as seen in many occasions, cry hoarse over the existence of this identity without doing anything substantive to give meaning to it. The question then is, how can the concept of Manipur be anything but a myth when the very concept of “Manipuri” that underpins it itself lacks clarity. Manipur is founded on the Meeteis’ chauvinistic parochial outlook and such a foundation necessarily invites problems.
The game plan of the Meetei dominated GOM, at this juncture, is to push in more money to buy off people, and to continue spinning its propaganda wheels. Rumours are already abound that more than 10 crores have been sanctioned by the GOM to address the present crisis. If this is true, where did this money come from? It would be very fair to surmise that it is most likely from the development funds meant for the hill areas.
Ibobi has been playing the “territorial integrity” card for so long that it has become his political mantra. And strangely enough, even his dissenters and those who are opposed to him have fallen into the “territorial integrity” trap. Not so long ago, the UCM and AMUCO were tirelessly campaigning to bring Ibobi’s government down. Now Ibobi, UCM and AMUCO are best friends defending the “territorial integrity” of Manipur. Where are the consistency and the values of these organisations?
A look at how the debates have enfolded in the national media also indicates the chauvinism of the Meeteis. Any opinions they express are the opinions of the whole of “Manipur”. Those dissenting voices that do reach the national media are labeled as the voices of “minorities”. What sort of a relationship is it when the concept of “majority” and “minority” exists?
The deployment of Manipur Indian Reserved Battalion (MIRB) is another example of the Meeteis’ politics to militarily control the hill areas. Opinions from the hills have been very clear that they do not want militarization of their lands, despite this, the GOM continues to sent in more security forces. A fact that should not escape the people in the hills is that MIRB personnel are mostly drawn from the Meetei community. In fact, a high number of them are from the constituency of the Chief Minister. Interestingly, Imphal township which has the highest killing rate in the whole state has six segments where Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is inapplicable. Ironically, in the hill districts which boast of no such incidents, AFSPA is in force. Is this not discrimination?
Tribals have witnessed the chauvinism and hypocrisy of the Meeteis in their struggle for the application of Sixth Schedule. There was a time not so long ago when the Meeteis mobilized the different tribes for supporting the inclusion of Manipuri in the Eight Schedule with the promise that when the tribes fight for the Sixth Schedule, they will support it. Where has that support gone?
During the Manorama case, tribal bodies voiced and gave their support in the fight against the incident. In the Hmar rape case, when the perpetrators were Meetei armed groups, the Meetei civil society remained silent and mute.
For the tribes in Manipur, good relationship with the Meeteis will be determined by the political and economical conveniences of the Meeteis and not the tribes. If the tribes are ready to live with this, it is their call and not something that should be forced upon by the Meeteis. But it may very well be so that what the Meeteis are doing to the Nagas, they will surely do it to the other tribes one fine day. For the Nagas, it is very clear that they cannot be part of this fiction called Manipur.
In trying to argue and postulate their so called history of Manipur, the Meetei intellectuals have conveniently erased the history and identity of the many tribes living in the hills, in the periphery of the Meetei concentrated valley. Ironically, while doing this, these intellectuals have also gone to the extent of adopting the “Ching-Tam Amadani” refrain. The question is, how can we say that the people in the valley and the people in the hills are one when one of them is vociferously trying to erase the history and identity of the other? How can we say we are one when the concept of oneness is underpinned by the concept of chauvinistic dominance of one over the other?
These are questions that everyone should be asking. It is time the different tribes in so called Manipur state come together and join hands in fighting for their equal rights.
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Disclaimer:
The views expressed by the author in above post is that of the author alone. Arunachal Diary may not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed by the author.
The author, who is a Research Scholar, can be reached at pliangmai@gmail.com
For review and appraisal on preparation for ensuing Dree Festival Celebration at Capital Complex, the executive body of CCDFC (Capital Complex Dree Festival Committee), Itanagar conducted a meeting yesterday at Dree Ground, Papu Nallah, under the chairmanship of Shri Tage Tado.
Apart from appraisal on the ground work done so far on preparation for ensuing Dree Festival Celebration at Capital Complex by Er. Narang Gumbo, General Secretary, CCDFC, Itanagar, other aspects of Dree Festival Celebration was also deliberated upon during the meet.
It was decided that the manuscripts for Dree Souvenir would be submitted to the Dree Advisory Board by 15th of May, 2010 for proof reading. The proof-read manuscript would then be returned back to the Souvenir Committee by 22nd May, 2010. Further, a sub-committee was formed for booking of ad-space in Souvenir from prospective sponsors at Itanagar and Naharlagun, so as to meet up cost of printing and publication of Souvenir. It was decided that Itanagarians or those going to office at Itanagar would be responsible for collection of ad-sponsorship at Itanagar and the rest would be responsible for Naharlagun. The details of ads collected would then have to be reported to Publicity Secretary, CCDFC, Ita on or before 20th of May, 2010.
The Executive Body during the meet has asked Shri Takhe Kani to submit his proposal on photo exhibition during the Dree Festival Celebration along with estimate for approval by the Committee subject to availability of fund. Also, the respective portfolio holders of the CCDFC were asked to submit their proposed estimates by 22nd of May, 2010 so as to arrive at an anticipated expenditure of Dree Festival Celebration.
The 4th Executive body meeting of CCDFC has been scheduled for 22nd of May, 2010 where all the members have been asked to attend the meeting with Dree dress for a photo session for Dree Souvenir.
DC condemned for fleeing the scene
-By G. Tallo
Ziro, May 3, 2010
The call of Apatani Youth Association (AYA) for mass peace rally to demand immediate arrest of Murderer of late Habung Chunya and restoration of deterioting law and order situation in Hapoli and Old Ziro townships evoked spontaneous public response. People from all walks of life participated the rally in large way. One never see this scale of mass participation to the call of the youth or the student organisations in Ziro, atleast in recent past.
As one participant has said, the general public of Ziro saw this rally as a platform to vent their discontent and frustration of inaction of District Administration in tackling law and order problem. For past few years crime rate has been rising in and around Ziro and the District Administration were found wanting in promptness to nab the perpetrators of crime.
It should be mentioned here that late Ms Habung Chunya was found murdered at her resident in Old Ziro on the night of 6th April. It is one month now but no headway has been made to arrest the murder.
People thronged the rally at Subansiri Stadium and took out a long procession from there through Old Medical Colony and Pai Gate to Deputy Commissioner Office, where AYA was to submit memorandum to Deputy Commissioner, Ziro. Throughout the rally process the participants conduct themselves well and it was peaceful.
There was a moment of anxiety soon after they had arrived the DC office complex. Absence of DC in the station infuriated the assembled mass. They condemned the DC Ziro for fleeing the scene everytime there was major law and order problem. They recounted few such occassions: first, a young boy was murdered by his friends in January 2008 and the deceased was buried inside Subansiri Stadium; second, seven years old boy was kidnapped and murdered last year, his relatives and friends with public support took out procession for immediate arrest of culprit in two occassions; and this time. Every time, she had left the station a day before or in the morning to avoid the ordeal. The assembled mass almost turn into an unruly mob before few elderly people, who took part in the rally, come forward to subside the irate public.
It could have been just a co-incidental that she had to leave the station: may not be intentional. Whatever be the case, the message from the rally was loud and clear: people living in Ziro want to live in peace and freedom from fear.
The Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland), ZYF strongly condemn the Manipur Government’s deployment of heavily armed Manipur Police Commandos and Indian Reserved Battalion in Mao Gate, Jessami, Ukhrul, and other Naga areas in order to prevent Mr. Th. Muivah, Ato Kilonser, GPRN from going on a National Peace Tour in which he was to visit Naga areas in Manipur. The situation has resulted in creating fear among the populace around the areas where the personnel are stationed; in Mao Gate, residents have started vacating the central area as the Manipur Police Commandos and IRB have turned the residential area into a fortified camp with the construction of bunkers coupled with the presence of heavy armoured cars, water cannon tanks, and other warlike arsenals.
It is significant that Mr. Muivah leads the movement of the Nagas to find a peaceful and permanent solution to the Indo-Naga political issue through honourable and just negotiations with the Government of India.
ZSUM and ZYF, as organisations of the Zeliangrong people, are strongly opposed to the scare tactics employed by the Government of Manipur to suppress the voice and demands of the Nagas. We heartily welcome the National Peace Tour initiative of Mr. Th. Muivah and extend our full solidarity and support for the same so that justice and peace will come about for the Nagas.
The unprecedented military measures being taken, with the intention to use brute force upon the peace seeking Nagas is universally condemnable and an act to unsettle the fragile peace in the Naga areas. The tear gassing of the public in Ukhrul and use of threats and intimidation in other areas is cowardly and indicates the immaturity of the Manipur Government.
We believe in the principle of peace, justice and fundamental freedom of all people and communities. The visit of Mr. Muivah to his native place is but a process in ensuring the ongoing peaceful settlement of Indo-Naga conflict which has already claimed thousand of lives. Therefore, opposing Mr. Muivah’s visit is a direct opposition to peace and peaceful negotiation of the Naga issue and is nothing short of exercising power without wisdom.
The People of Zeliangrong wants peaceful settlement of the drawn out Indo-Naga political problem, and support the current peace talks between the Government of India and NSCN. Zeliangrong people welcomes the proposed historic peace touring and appeals to all peace loving citizens of Manipur and adjoining states to extend solidarity in the efforts to reach a peaceful settlement of Indo-Naga Political issue.
We would finally like to point out that the Government of Manipur who has no mandate to interfere in the rightful claim of the Nagas. We therefore, urge the Manipur Government to immediately stop all its actions that has the potential of escalating the situation.
CCDFC launches it’s official website
Khoda Ruja, Director, Textiles & handicraft, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh launching CCDFC's official site
The official website of Capital Complex Dree Festival Committee, Itanagar (CCDFC) was launched by Chief Guest Shri Khoda Ruja, Director, Textiles & handicraft, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh today at Dree Ground, Papu Nallah.
During the launching ceremony, the Chief Guest appreciated Dree Committee for introducing new innovation and ideas. He also said that launching of website would not only help the general public to access Dree Festival related activities and events online but would also showcase Dree to the rest of the world.
Now, the general public can access Dree Festival, Itanagar related activities and events online at http://ccdfc.arunachaldiary.com