Gaikhangam , the deputy chief minister of Manipur, is eye sore for militant outfits. His tirade against militant outfits has invited as many as 18 life attempts where he had providential escape besides his convoy has faced several ambushes. In an interview to ET ’s Bikash Singh , Gaikhangam said the BJP government at Centre is always ominous to the state of Manipur and there is a nexus between the BJP, United Naga Council (UNC), , NSCN-IM and Naga Peoples Front (NPF).
Why framework agreement with the NSCN-IM is an issue in poll-bound Manipur despite the assurance from the Centre that the agreement will not harm its interest?
Gaikhangam: Whenever the BJP comes to power in the Centre, it’s ominous for Manipur. BJP is dangerous for Manipur. On 18 June, 2001, when ceasefire with the NSCN-IM was extended beyond the territorial limits, there was a problem. Eighteen lives were lost, government properties were damaged. It was the BJP regime then. They could have avoided it.
Again there was BJP government in the Centre when framework agreement with the NSCN-IM was signed. This is another threat to Manipur again unleashed by the BJP under Prime Minister Modi. People of Manipur are asking to make the agreement public. If it is not a secret document, why is the BJP government not making it public? The Congress government has in the past done accords which include the Assam accord, Mizo accord and Punjab agreement but is it not a fact that all these documents are public documents and after that peace was restored in the respective states. The Centre has not consulted the state government before signing the agreement.
Manipur is reeling under economic blockade since November 1. Why has the state government not considered using force to clear the blockade?
Gaikhangam: These allegations were partly correct some 15 years back, not now. There has been a shift and the hills have been accorded the highest priority by the present government. We took up inclusive infrastructure development in the hills.
Source: Economic Times
