Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body in the region, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government to intervene in the Manipur crisis, calling for the protection of Naga-inhabited areas, justice for six murdered Naga civilians, and the expedited conclusion of the Indo-Naga political process.
Facilitated by the Delhi Solidarity Group, UNC leaders addressed the national media at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on Saturday.
It was the first time Naga elders from Manipur had collectively addressed the national media regarding the recent violence in the state.
During the briefing, the delegation outlined the contents of its memorandum, stating that the current situation in Manipur can no longer be treated as a routine law-and-order issue.
Alleging that recent attacks involved sophisticated weapons such as drones and rocket launchers, the UNC urged the Centre to invoke Article 355 to protect Naga-inhabited areas from external aggression and internal disturbances.
The UNC demanded an independent, court-monitored probe into the abduction and mutilation of six missing Naga civilians. The council also called for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the killings.
It further demanded that the Kuki National Front-President (KNF-P) be designated as a terrorist organisation and called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with militant groups that violate its ground rules.
On the Indo-Naga political process, the UNC appealed to the Prime Minister to honour the August 3, 2015, Indo-Naga Framework Agreement, restore security along the national highways, and avoid any administrative changes affecting Naga ancestral lands.
The delegation maintained that the 21 Naga tribes of Manipur remain united under the UNC banner and called on the Union government to respond constitutionally to secure Naga-inhabited territories.