Manipur won't be affected by Naga pact: CM

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday tried to assuage the agitating groups saying that the state's territory would not be affected by the Naga pact, likely to be signed with the Centre soon.

"I have been assured that there will be no change in the territorial integrity of Manipur and neither will there be any administrative changes after the Naga agreement is signed. What I have been informed that the Centre has turned down the Naga groups' demand for Nagalim and they (Naga groups) also agreed to solve the issue within Nagaland territory only. So the question of extending Nagaland territory does not arise," Singh told reporters at the state capital Imphal.

He added, "We have full faith in the Central leadership that they will keep their words. So I urge all residents in Manipur to calm down and let's have a discussion together with home minister Amit Shah on this."

Shah asked Singh to accompany a delegation of civil society organisations from Manipur for a meeting in New Delhi to discuss the issues and concerns regarding the Naga pact.

The assurance comes amid strong agitation by groups representing the majority Meitei community, who are against Naga groups' demand for Nagalim, covering all Naga-inhibited areas in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The groups had earlier scaled down its demand to include Naga areas in neighbouring Myanmar too. At least three districts in Manipur has majority Naga population.

The hope for a solution to the decades-old Naga conflict brightened after the Centre and the Naga groups claimed that the negotiation ended on October 31 on "a positive note."

The statement comes a day after Nagaland Governor and the Centre's interlocutor R N Ravi said in Silchar in South Assam that the Centre rejected Naga groups' demand for a separate flag, Constitution and Nagalim.