Imphal, Feb. 14: The call for unity marked the opening of the two-day seed-sowing festival of the Nagas in Manipur with Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang urging them to work for "emotional and cultural" integration,
Zeliang, who was invited as the chief guest on the opening day of Lui-Ngai-Ni, came with a strong team to show "solidarity" with the Nagas in Manipur and Naga organisations, which are harping on Naga integration.
Nagaland home minister Yanthungo Paton and minister in-charge of road and bridges Y. Vikheho Swu came along with Zeliang by chopper to attend the programme at Tangkhul Naga Long ground in Ukhrul.
The organisers presented Zeliang with a big mithun.
On the other hand, an IED exploded at Litan, 42km from the venue along Imphal-Ukhrul road, around 11.20am, when the inaugural programme was on. Zeliang and his team were already at the venue. The guest of honour, inspector-general of Assam Rifles (South), Maj. Gen. V.S. Sreenivas, was to travel back to Imphal on this route after the programme. No one was injured.
"The bomb was planted by the roadside and was powerful. However, no one was injured because there was no traffic on the route," an Assam Rifles officer said.
Police could not identify those behind the blast. Those who spoke at the festival did not mention the incident.
The theme of this year's festival is "Sowing in tears, reaping in joy".
Zeliang welcomed the signing of the framework agreement between the NSCN (I-M) and the Narendra Modi government and expressed hope that a solution would be found soon. Stating that Nagas are divided by artificial boundaries, he said, "Historical forces can redraw state boundaries. Only we have to be patient."
He proposed a common festival for the Nagas living in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
He hailed the four NPF legislators in Manipur for resigning in protest against passing of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill and the Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill last year. He termed the bills anti-tribal.
Gaidon Kamei, president of United Naga Council, urged Nagas to support the peace talks so that it could come to a "fruitful and logical end".
Cultural programmes will be the main attraction of the festival. Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla will be the chief guest tomorrow.
Lui-Ngai-Ni was celebrated for a day on February 15 every year while the organisers are celebrating it for two days this year. The Manipur government declared February 15 as a state holiday.
