Naga body calls for boycott of BJP CM’s visit to Luangkao in Manipur
Demands justice before government holds programmes in Naga areas
Imphal: The Working Committee of the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (WC-JTCM) has called for a boycott of BJP-led Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s proposed visit to Luangkao village in Manipur on September 12.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the committee said it did not approve of the Chief Minister’s maiden visit to Luangkao, which is scheduled to include a pilgrimage and a review of the Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum.
The WC-JTCM said 119 days had passed since six Liangmai Naga men were abducted and killed at Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13. It said the bodies remain unclaimed at the JNIMS morgue in Imphal, while no arrests had been made and the investigation had yet to reach a conclusion.
“The families of the victims await closure, and the Naga people await accountability,” the committee said in a statement.
The WC-JTCM said holding official programmes or development-related engagements in Naga areas while the killings remained unresolved would be inappropriate and disrespectful to the victims’ families.
The committee demanded that the government ensure justice for the families of the six deceased Liangmai men before undertaking such visits, saying, “Justice first. Then everything else.”
The WC-JTCM appealed to Naga people, civil society organizations and community leaders to abstain from participating in the September 12 programme and boycott official engagements that, it said, bypass the collective will of the Naga people.
It also urged Naga leaders, village authorities and civil society organizations to refrain from meetings with government officials on development projects, relief assistance or political dialogue until the interests of Naga communities are collectively consulted and represented.
The committee further asserted that no individual or group should speak on behalf of the Naga community without a collective mandate.
