‘Greater Nagalim’ issue: Sonowal’s silence deafening

Amidthe raging debate over whether Assam and Manipur will lose parts of its land toGreater Nagalim as per the Naga accord, Assam Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal, who had come to power with the commitment to safeguard 'Jati, Mati,Bheti' (race, land and homeland) and to work to protect the rights ofthe indigenous people, has neither opposed the framework agreement nor askedNew Delhi to reveal its contents.

Itmay be mentioned here that Assam and Nagaland share a 434-km border. Ever sinceNagaland was created carving out parts of Assam's Naga Hills district in 1963;the two states have been disputing their shared border – sometimes leading todeadly clashes. On the other hand, Greater Nagalim is NSCN-IM's core demand. Thecartography of the proposed Greater Nagalim includes large tracts of Assam,besides Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Though, on Thursday, the Union Home Ministry said that the Centre will consult all stakeholders, including the states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, before arriving at an agreement; the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) organised a mass protest in the State on Thursday to oppose any outcome of the Indo-Naga peace talks that could harm Manipur's integrity. Manipur CM, N Biren Singh has appealed to the people to remain calm and categorically assured people that the Centre will not draw a conclusion to the Naga peace talks without consulting all the stakeholders. He uploaded a video on his facebook page regarding the same.

Meanwhile, All Assam Students'Union (AASU) and other indigenous organisations have opposed any outcome of Nagaaccord that could possess a threat for Assam; but CM Sonowal has not come upwith any statement asking Centre to reconsider the agreement for the sake ofthe people of the State.