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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Reacting to the threat held out by one of the functionaries of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim,V S Atem, that the NSCN cadres will take up arms to protest Centre's recent decision to revoke the Naga truce extension, Manipur Governor Ved Marwah said that his administration will keep a close watch on NSCN to ensure that their activities do not disturb peace in Manipur.
"There would be some irritants in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. We would have to keep vigil on the Manipur borders to ensure that the Naga insurgency does not spill over to our areas," Ved Marwah told rediff.com in an exclusive interview.
Asked what would be his top priority now after the government had dropped the three key words -- beyond territorial limits -- which had been the cause of violent demonstrations in Manipur, Marwah said that he will ensure communal harmony among various ethnic groups.
"It is a matter of immense satisfaction that despite the fact we witnessed violent demonstrations in the state, there was not even a single incident of communal violence. We have to ensure that the cordial relations between the Meities, Nagas and other ethnic groups is not disturbed," he added.
Atem had in a statement said that if the Indian government goes back on the earlier agreement, which provided for the ceasefire to be extended without territorial limits, then the Naga rebels will be left with no other option but to go underground.
On Sunday, Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani had announced that the government of India after consulting the chief ministers of northeastern states had decided to drop three words -- without territorial limits -- from the agreement.
He admitted that the demonstrators gave him some sleepless nights during last one and half month.
"I am not a saint who would not be affected by these kinds of developments. I did have sleepless nights particularly when the demonstrators turned violent last week in the night," he said.
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