Angami bodies flay Manipur students' claim

Kohima, Aug 24 (UNI) Several Angami organisations today condemned the claim made by the Manipur Students' Federation (MSF) that the Dzukou valley under Kohima district belongs to Manipur.

Reacting strongly to a statement made by the MSF General Secretary over a question in the UPSC Preliminary Examination, the Angami organisations, including the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO), Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO), Southern Angami Students' Union (SASU) and the Dzukou Core Committee of the SAPO reiterated that ''Dzukou Valley belongs to the Southern Angamis of Nagaland since time immemorial and there had never been any doubt or dispute over it.'' The organisations described the claim of the MSF as 'irrational and misleading'.

In a joint statement by SAPO President Pheluphwe Kirha, SASU President Pueyo Lcho, SAPO Dzukou Core Committee Secretary Kezhokhoto Savi and SAYO President Sulvi Angami made it clear that the people of Southern Angami would never recognise any boundary drawn arbitrarily by the British imperialists for administrative convenience.

The signatories claimed the word 'Dzukou' was derived from the Angami dilect and it was itself enough to 'prove our authentic ownership'.

It may be mentioned that the MSF had taken strong exception to a question in the UPSC Preliminary Examination, where names of four States, including Nagaland and four valleys were given side by side to match Nagaland but Manipur was missing.

A competitive examination magazine 'Pratiyogita Darpan' also showed Dzukou Valley falling inside Nagaland.

In an ultimatum served on Wednesday, the MSF asked the UPSC to clarify its stand within seven days or be ready to face a series of agitations from the students.

UNI