Senapati: The Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) commemorated Human Rights Day, 2024 at Tahamzam (Senapati) in Manipur.
The programme commenced with a stilt stick walk led by the Young Troupe from Tahamzam central traffic point to the Maram Union Secretariat where the program was held. After a traditional chant opening prayer by Rev. Fr. Siby Alexander, Parish Priest of St. John Bosco Church, Maram Khullen, Moms’ in Touch band graced the occasion with a traditional song.
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This was followed by Neingulo Krome, Secretary General, NPMHR, sharing briefly on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its relevance to the Nagas. In sharing, he pointed out the struggle of indigenous peoples across the world for self-determination, and how mechanisms within the UN, however limited, have provided space for addressing the concerns of indigenous peoples such as the adoption of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Nepuni Piku, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), in his solidarity message, honoured human rights activists who had passed on. Pointing out that human rights have to be seen through the lens of democratic governance based on the worldview, values, and principles of the Nagas as an indigenous community, he reiterated the need to advocate for rights based on the real, instead of abstract concepts, needs of the people.
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This was followed by an open discussion centered around “An Audit on the Right to Self Determination of Nagas. The open discussion brought forth a number of concerns and issues of the Nagas; a primary topic being the present ongoing peace talks between the Nagas and the Government of India contextualized against the Framework Agreement of August 2015; the failure of both parties to make any positive progress, and what this means in terms of peace for the region.
An overwhelming emergent point in the discussion was the focus on the need for respectful honourable negotiations between the Nagas and the Government of India, and the need for Nagas to continue to advocate for their rights keeping in tune with this year’s UN theme, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.”
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