Manipur not to be affected by Naga pact: CM

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Saturday assured that the state's territorial integrity would not be affected by the agreement to be signed with Naga groups to end the decades-long Naga conflict.

"The Centre has assured the State government that the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be affected in bringing solution of the ongoing Indo-Naga peace talks. The state government believed that the Centre and its leaders would respect sentiment of the state government. The state is vigilant and monitoring every stage of the ongoing peace talks," Singh said at a function in Imphal to mark 128th Raising Day of Manipur police.

The statement is seen as an assurance to those who are apprehensive that the agreement to be signed between the Centre and Naga groups could meet the latter's demand for intergration of all Naga-inhibited areas in the Northeast, including Manipur.

The assurance comes a day after the Centre's interlocutor and Nagaland governor R N Ravi held a meeting with various stakeholders in Nagaland and stated that a draft agreement is ready and a final agreement is likely to be signed soon to solve the Naga conflict. Intergration of Naga-inhibited areas in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, sharing border with Nagaland is one of the demands of the Naga groups but many organisations in these states are against it.

Responding to the ethnic issues in the state, Singh said that it was tragic that most of the communities of the state always think for themselves rather than cohesive thoughts. "When we start thinking for common good leaving aside personal or community benefits only, then there will be peace in the state," he said.