Date:22/01/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/22/stories/2003012206160100.htm

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No compromise on territory: Manipur CM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 21. While welcoming the Centre's peace talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN I-M) leadership, neighbouring Manipur today asserted that any agreement at the cost of its territorial integrity would not be acceptable to it.

Even as the official level talks between the Centre and the NSCN leaders, Isak Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah began here today, an all-party delegation from Manipur met the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and claimed it got an assurance that the boundaries of the State would not be affected in the wake of the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and Naga leaders.

The leader of the all-party delegation and Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, told reporters that the Prime Minister had given an assurance in this regard when they met him to discuss the impact of the Naga peace talks on Manipur.

He said that Manipur wanted a Constitutional amendment for the maintenance of the territorial integrity of the State. However, PMO sources merely said that the Prime Minister gave a patient hearing.

"We welcome the Centre's peace talks with Nagaland but the parleys should not be at the cost of the territorial integrity of Manipur. The State will not give a single inch of land as part of Centre's agreement with Nagas," the Chief Minister asserted.

He said the Constitutional amendment should make the consent of the legislature of the State concerned mandatory in the event of the formation of a new state or in the event of alteration of areas, boundaries and name of the existing States.

Emphasising that territorial integrity of Manipur as it existed on October 15, 1949 was "inviolable", he said that Article 371 of the Constitution should contain a clause mentioning it.

Mr. Singh later also met the Janata Dal (United) president, Sharad Yadav, and cautioned that the unfortunate incidents of June 2001 should not be allowed to recur when the whole of Manipur witnessed an uprising and unprecedented violence to protest any attempt to alter its boundaries.

In a statement to mark the 31st Statehood celebrations of Manipur, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the possible ramifications of the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and a section of Naga militants.

"Peace efforts everywhere are of national importance and are welcome. However, peace efforts that create apprehensions in the minds of law-abiding citizens of the country cannot be in the national interest. Peace efforts that may alienate a population that has endlessly brought laurels to the nation cannot be in the interest of the nation," he said.

Manipur was not a "Meiteiland" and over the years the Tangkhuls, the Kukichins, Maos and Kabuis had adopted the State as their homeland, struggling and prospering together.

Meanwhile, the Centre-NSCN talks were held at a "secret location" here and would continue tomorrow, sources said.

From the Government's side, the Centre's interlocutor for Naga talks, K. Padmanabhaiah, the Intelligence Bureau Director, K.P. Singh and the Special Secretary in the Home Ministry, R.C. Jain, participated.