Imphal: An all-party emergency meeting on January 11 vowed to unitedly oppose any attempt to disintegrate Manipur in the face of the 'Greater Nagaland' demand by National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) leaders, Issac Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, during the current peace talks with the Centre.

A resolution adopted at the meeting said the people of Manipur would "unitedly oppose attempt by any authority to disintegrate the state.

"The territory of Manipur belongs to the Manipuris and cannot be parcelled on the basis of the area occupied by the communities residing in it," it said.

Muivah had on January 10 said in New Delhi, "There is no greater or lesser Nagaland. It is a place of our natural habitation...our own territory. We are not asking for anything more than that or anything less than that."

Chief Minister Ibobi Singh told reporters after the meeting that a monitoring cell with representatives from all parties would be set up soon to monitor the situation arising out of the peace talks between the Centre and National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Issac/Muivah (NSCN – I/M).

The Chief Minister said he would himself be convenor of the cell.

He was keeping in touch, he said, with the Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the two states besides Manipur, portions of which were demanded by NSCN – I/M for formation of 'Greater Nagaland.'

Seventeen people were killed and the Assembly building and the Chief Minister's secretariat torched on June 18, 2002 in violent protests in the state after the Centre extended the ceasefire with the NSCN – I/M beyond Nagaland to other states.

PTI