An umbrella group of seven extremist outfits has reminded its rival National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN (I-M) that its members are tenants in Nagaland.
Hurling the barb hours before the NSCN (I-M) held its ‘national assembly’ to discuss the fate of the “Naga political issue”, the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) slammed their rival for sticking to its demand of a separate Naga flag and constitution as part of the final settlement of the peace process.
“Nagaland today is a land where tenants, with Government of India’s help, dream to be landlords through harassing and brutalising the owners with symbolic tools like integration (of Naga areas), flag, constitution, etc.,” the Working Committee of the NNPGs said in a statement issued late Monday evening.
Most members of the NNPGs are Nagas from Nagaland while the NSCN (I-M) members, including its general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, are Nagas of adjoining Manipur. The latter has its peace headquarters near Nagaland’s Dimapur.
Integration of the areas inhabited by the Nagas – they are distributed across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Myanmar – has been a dream of the NSCN (I-M).
The NNPGs said the NSCN (I-M) leaders, who did not own a hut, were welcomed by the “hospitable” Nagas to Nagaland more than four decades ago. The reference was to the formation of the NSCN in 1980.
The NSCN split in 1988 with one faction led by the late Isak Chishi Swu and Mr. Muivah became the NSCN (I-M). The other faction led by the late S.S. Khaplang, a Myanmar Naga, became the NSCN (K).
Some constituents of the NNPGs are factions of the NSCN (K).
“Today, in the name of political dialogue, Government of India has facilitated southern Naga I-M leaders to extort our people and utilise much of Nagaland’s money to buy and develop farmlands and construct mansions and other assets in… India and abroad,” the NNPGs said.
“With such grandiose luxury accumulated over three decades, it is very easy to hide behind powerful slogans like greater Nagalim, flag, constitution, etc., to soak in the wealth of Nagaland for few more decades…” its statement read.
The NSCN (I-M) had a few days rejected the Centre’s offer of the use of Naga flag for cultural purposes and a possible inclusion of the operative part of its constitution in the Constitution of India.
“It is unthinkable for NSCN to accept Naga national flag as cultural flag as hinted by Government of India. Naga national flag that symbolises Naga political identity is not negotiable,” the NSCN (I-M) had said.
“Nagas cannot be prevented by wrapping oneself cosy in extra-large Naga flag, unwritten Naga constitution or Naga integration. These elements will be most precious and desirable if Naga tribes rely on practical aspect rather than be a slave to sentiment and emotion,” the NNPGs shot back.
The NNPGs had signed the Agreed Position with the Centre in 2017, two years after the NSCN (I-M) inked the Framework Agreement. The former is not insistent on a separate flag and constitution.
The NSCN (I-M) has been under pressure to go for a solution. Apart from political, social and extremist leaders in Nagaland, the Manipur-based United Naga Council said the NSCN (I-M) should take a “wise political decision” to end the almost 25-year wait for a solution.
