Manipur Assembly Manipur: UNC directs Naga legislators to abstain from special assembly session
Manipur Assembly session. (File image)

Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body in the region, has directed all Naga legislators to abstain from attending the upcoming special session of the Manipur legislative assembly, which is being convened in response to the prevailing law and order situation in the ethnic violence-hit state.

There are 10 Naga MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly.

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A statement issued by the UNC’s Publicity Wing on Tuesday said that various civil organizations in the valley are dictating the government to convene a Special Assembly Session on or before August 5, 2023, to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur state.

Imposing all Naga legislators to stand in their interest is highly uncalled for and nonsensical in this fluid situation.

“It is high time that the communities living in the state realize and respect each other’s different positions and historical facts. Naga people will not accept any kind of imposition under any circumstances,” the statement said. “Therefore, the UNC is necessitated to direct all the Naga legislators to abstain from such an Assembly Session convened under the dictate of some CSOs.”

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Regarding the ever-increasing influx of illegal immigrants in Manipur, the UNC stated that the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the only feasible mechanism to curb the unwarranted population invasion in the state. It also urged the state government to implement the NRC at the earliest possible.

The UNC also stated that the government of India’s insidiously devised policy of encouraging the cross-border inflow of population from Myanmar should be stopped immediately. The continuous influx of illegal immigrants from the porous borders of Indo-Myanmar will create a serious demographic crisis and wide-ranging ramifications.

“It is alarming to learn about the fresh influx of illegal immigrants, Myanmar nationals, along the Indo-Myanmar border in Chandel District to the tune of 718 persons just in a day, as per the report of Assam Rifles of 29th Sector dated July 23, 2023,” the statement said.

“With such a diabolical design of the Home Ministry, the Government of India is nothing but to crush the indigenous people and serve their whims and desires in the region.”

To this end, the UNC stated that the state government should initiate stringent steps to curb the menace.