Muivah postpones his visit in Manipur

Manipur is simmering after the state government banned T Muivah, a Naga separatist leader, from visiting his ancestral village in Manipur's Ukrul district.

Although the Nagas in Manipur were eager to receive him, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh stopped Muivah's homecoming, leading to a big standoff at the border.

Two women were killed in clashes with the police, and 50 people were injured, all of them Naga protestors, most of them women.

They had gathered at the Mao gate check post on the Manipur-Nagaland border to receive Muivah who was across the border at Viswema village in Nagaland, officials said. 

Muivah is the General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).

He decided to postpone his visit by a day after Naga NGOs in Manipur advised him to let the situation ease before crossing the border.  The Manipur government says that Muivah's arrival will lead to communal violence. "I am not going to create a disturbance. I am going for peace and to meet my people," argues Muivah.

NSCN-IM, one of the oldest and powerful rebel groups in the North East, is demanding a 'Greater Nagaland' - it wants the unification of areas dominated by Nagas in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, which are all opposed to the proposal.

Ibobi Singh was summoned to Delhi in a special Border Security Force (BSF)  plane this morning to meet  Home Minister P.Chidambaram, Finance Minister  Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister AK Antony. The Manipur Chief Minister  refused to budge on Muivah's visit.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had met Chidambaram in Delhi on Wednesday, requesting him to ensure that Muivah could visit his home village.

Several organisations are opposing Muivah's visist, describing it as an attempt to divide Manipur. The All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation has called for a 48-hour strike from midnight.