Guwahati: Bogged down by the political implications of the economic blockade in Manipur, Nagaland’s new chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu said on Tuesday that his Manipur counterpart, O. Ibobi Singh, was inciting communal tension so that people in the Imphal Valley support him during the elections.
Mr Liezietsu, who was addressing an election rally for his Nagaland People’s Front in Senapati district of Manipur, said: “Mr Ibobi is more communal than his party.”
The Nagaland CM also made an appeal to Meiteis, the dominant community of the Imphal Valley, not to fall prey to Mr Ibobi’s tricks of trying to divide people on communal lines. Referring the contentious issue of Naga peace talks, Mr Liezietsu said: “Any problem that is to be solved peacefully through dialogue must not be construed as going against any community.”
Mr Liezietsu also reminded people that Meiteis and the hill tribes of Manipur had been maintaining good neighbourly relations for time immemorial and would continue to do so even in future. Pointing out that Meiteis and the Manipur hill tribes had no other homeland except those they now lived in, Mr Liezietsu said they had no option but to remain neighbours for generations to come.
“As long as this planet exists, we shall remain neighbours and so we should learn how to live in peace and harmony as good neighbours,” he said.
While acknowledging that Meiteis were more advanced people in all spheres of life, the Nagaland CM said: “We expect them to play the role of elder brother by initiating measures to ensure the continuity of living together as good neighbours.”
Elaborating on the aims and objectives of the NPF, the chief minister, who is also NPF president, said the NPF’s primary aim was to bring hill tribes together on a single platform. Asserting that the NPF was for the hill tribes and not only for Nagas, the chief minister hoped that in due course Meiteis too would join NPF.
