UNC takes goodwill mission to Tamenglong

Senapati , November 6 : A good will mission in view of the violent armed clashes between Naga groups was taken to Tamenglong (Inrianglong) District Headquarters on November 3 and 4 under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC). The team, which included the Naga Women’s Union, the All Naga Students’ Association and the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights, urged “factions/political groups to withdraw from the violent path in the spirit of Naga reconciliation which is the clarion call of all the Nagas across the land”.

The UNC informed through a press release that the team met a cross section of the society, and held a public meeting at the Indoor Stadium on November 4. At the meeting, the mission urged “all political, social, church & other organisational leaders to discourage propaganda, rumours, incitements and instigations for narrow and personal interests and to thereby create space for trust, goodwill and rapprochement among the people at large”.

The public meeting was attended by local church leaders, frontal organisations including the Zeliangrong Baudi (Manipur Zone), the Zeliangrong Pui Baudi and the public. Importantly, the mission gave a clear message to security forces stationed in the region, urging “the Assam Rifles to be non partisan and to refrain from siding or encouraging any one party in the conflict and to secure the vital public confidence and trust as a neutral force till the return of normalcy”.

In the declaration adopted, the good will mission also requested the media to “play a proactive role for transformation of the present conflict through their reportage and coverage and to tone down the negative elements in the public discourse in the media”.

Following the address, a mass spoken prayer was offered by the participants for an end to the violence that has engulfed Tamenglong, for God’s blessings on the upcoming fifth Tripartite talk on the demand for Alternative Arrangement and early settlement of the Indo-Naga issue.