Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex organization representing Naga groups in Manipur, has announced a 48-hour total shutdown in Naga-dominated areas starting at midnight on October 3, 2024. The bandh is in protest against the creation of seven new districts in the state.
In 2016, the Congress-led government under Ibobi Singh established seven new districts, including Tengnoupal (bifurcated from Chandel), Kamjong (from Ukhrul), Pherzawl (from Churachandpur), Kangpokpi (from Senapati), and Jiribam (from Imphal East). The UNC has long opposed this move, arguing that the districts were created “arbitrarily,” without consulting key stakeholders.
The Senapati-based Naga body has been demanding the reversal of this decision, citing a lack of transparency and consultation. The UNC has engaged in 10 rounds of tripartite talks with both the state and central governments and previously launched an economic blockade lasting 139 days on Manipur’s national highways.
In a statement released on Monday, the UNC noted that the last round of tripartite talks occurred on March 9, 2019, where the government assured that a concrete proposal would be presented in the next meeting, initially scheduled for July 2019. However, that meeting never took place, the UNC said.
