His parents, relatives, friends and well-wishers must surely be proud of him. I, being a Naga, am also happy and proud of him.

However, in this happy moment about his works, I observed a grey point in the article which generally is negligible and fit for being overlooked but to Maring and Khoibu people; it has become a stumbling block to their quest for peace and tranquillity. Please allow me to explain the background of the problem to the possible extent.

Uipo (Khoibu) is a group of people socially, religiously and culturally clubbed together with Maring tribe for years together. Now, Maring tribe has a population of more than thirty thousand whereas Uipos (Khoibus) have only about 3500. However, Uipo (Khoibu) people lately are desirous of separating themselves from the umbrella of Maring tribe. They approached the Manipur Government to recognise them as a separate Scheduled Tribe. The Hill Area Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly even adopted resolutions recommending recognition of Uipo (Khoibu) as a Scheduled Tribe of Manipur. However, the Maring people objected the process for recognition of Uipo (Khoibu) as a Scheduled Tribe on various grounds. There were even violence erupted in the process. The Uipo (Khoibu) people decided to suspend their plight for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe till the dispute with the Marings is resolved. After much efforts given by peace loving leaders and organisations, leaders of the Marings and the Uipos agreed to sit across the table to sort out the differences of opinions. They have constituted a committee under the name and style of “Joint Working Committee on Maring-Khoibu Identity (JWC)”. The journey to the constitution of the JWC was neither an easy task, it was a hard-earned environment through the esteemed intervention of many social fora. The JWC has sat many rounds a talk to find a solution to the standing conflict. The JWC is consisting of leaders from both sides. The JWC has an important mutual understanding to carry on the peace building process, i.e. Uipo (Khoibu) should not present themselves as a “tribe” to the media or public fora while this peace building process is going on and till the differences of opinions are sorted out through this JWC.

Mrs Ratna Bharali Talukar tagged the word “tribe” against Uipo (Khoibu) in her article. This implies that Mo Naga has presented his community as a tribe to the media reporter which is against the principal mutual understanding of the JWC. I followed up this matter with Mo Naga himself and he iterated that he did not present Uipo (Khoibu) as a tribe. He also stated that his statement can be cross-checked from the audio-recorded interview by Mrs Ratna Bharali Talukdar. Then I sent a mail to Mrs Talukdar requesting her to make the necessary corrigenda to save the on-going peace process of JWC. Her reply to my mail is reproduced below:

“Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for words of appreciation about my article and explaining everything. May I suggest you to please write a letter to the Editor-in-Chief, Eastern Panorama, or I can also pursue the issue with him. You will appreciate that I am not for any wrong representation of facts but as I do not know the nuances so I think it will be appropriate if the things are explain(ed) to the readers of Eastern panorama in the form of letters to the Editor.”

Hence this humble letter to you.

As Mo Naga himself belongs to the Uipo (Khoibu) group of people, her reference of Uipo (Khoibu) as a “tribe” in her article has not only given a direct offence to Mo Naga defying the standing instruction of his community leaders not to refer his community as a “tribe” but has also implicated his community leaders representing in the JWC as if they have breached the mutual understanding of the leaders of both sides (Maring-Khoibu) and as if they have instigated Mo Naga to do so. This situation has created an environment of possible derailment of the peace building process of the JWC. And if the peace building process is failed, the ultimate losers will be the Uipo (Khoibu) group of people to whom Mo Naga belongs, and for whom your esteemed publication is giving full moral support, and for whom we all are proud of.

Therefore, I being the Convenor of JWC taking a balancing weight for the benefit of all concern, would like to request you to make corrigenda on the esteemed article wherever necessary in line with what I have narrated above

Looking forward to your concern and love for Mo Naga’s community.

Yours sincerely

Mosyel Syelsaangthyel Khaling

Convenor

Joint Working Committee on Maring-Khoibu Identity

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