PM tells northeast people not to believe in ‘tendentious rumours’

Imphal/New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that people of the northeastern states should not believe in "tendentious rumours" but depend on the government statement and assured that "no one-sided decision" would be taken on the Naga issue.

He conveyed this while talking to an eight-member team of three civil organisations of Manipur who called on him on Thursday morning on the issue of the framework agreement the Centre had signed with the rebel group, NSCN(I)M on August 3, 2015.

"As the Prime Minister I assure you that people will be consulted and no one-sided decision shall be taken on the burning issue," Modi is reported to have assured the delegates.

All sections of people including the Manipur Assembly have been clamouring for the disclosure of the details of the agreement. During the winter session the assembly took one unanimous resolution to demand disclosure of the details.

Leaders of Uinted Committee Manipur, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation and Committee on Civil Society Kangleipak have been camping in Delhi since December 16 to urge the national leaders not to take a "one-sided decision" on the issue.

Spokesperson Johnson Elangbam told IANS that the team had a 15-minute meeting with Modi during which he gave a patient hearing. "We had detailed discussion by putting all the cards on the table," Elangbam said.

The team members said that all sections support the efforts to bring about a durable peace but the interest and territory of Manipur should not be compromised.

The NSCN(IM) demand is that all the "Naga inhabited" areas in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Praddesh should be brought under one administrative roof of Nagaland.

Elangbam said that Manipur's territory is over 2,000 years old and has a written history of this long period. On June 18, 2001 there was an uprising in Manipur when the ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) was extended "without territorial limits".

Modi told the delegates that people should focus on development, peace and welfare. The delegates had also earlier met Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President Amit Shah and several other leaders in Delhi.