I am constrained to write this article to refute T. Patkaipa’s misinformed as well as twisted Naga history which appeared in his article in the Morung Express on Jan.16, 2016. He wrote the article arrogantly and with great pride in the NSCN-IM. I would however like to say that if he is proud of the NSCN-IM, he must be also proud of the thousands of Nagas whom the NSCN have killed. Your leaders have brainwashed some young Nagas to think that fighting against their own fellow Naga is serving the Naga nation. They (Muivah and Isak) first killed our leader Brig. Ngam Lao on 3rd December 1975 at the 2nd Brigade Headquarters of Kachin Independent Army (KIA) because he refused to support Muivah’s socialism. He was the first victim killed by Muivah for opposing his socialism. While returning from China, Brig. Ngamlao had said, we should establish the Naga Army base in Eastern Nagaland, but should not allow Th. Muivah to be with us because his presence in Eastern Nagaland would cause something wrong among the Nagas. What he had foreseen and predicted exactly happened among the Nagas. Can you- a Konyak- be proud of the killing of our own good leaders by Muivah?
If Muivah was not in Eastern Nagaland with Naga Army, no killing among Nagas would have happened. But because he was there in Eastern Nagaland, and his policy was wrongly supported by the then Col. Khole Konyak and Khaplang, their support enabled Muivah to form the NSCN from the Eastern Nagaland soil. From then on, he started killings the Nagas. If the two leaders (Khaplang and Khole) did not support him, Muivah can do nothing in Eastern Nagaland. Also if Brig. Ngam Lao was not killed, Muivah could not have formed the NSCN from Eastern Nagaland. So we have to regret the killing of our leader Brig. Ngam Lao, and for the wrong support given by Khaplang and Khole to Muivah’s socialism. What are the achievements of NSCN-IM for which you are proud of? For me and for the Nagas, killing Nagas and attempting to sell out Nagaland to India is not any achievements, but an act of treason. The Nagas know that the NNC had built up the Naga nation, but the NSCN-IM is trying to destroy it.
Your leaders did not tell the true Naga national history to you, therefore most of the NSCN soldiers do not know the true history of our Naga people. Your leaders do not want to talk about our past history because it will reveal their wrong misdeeds. They are therefore saying: “No need to talk of the past history, we should instead be marching ahead with the changing world. But I would say, to tell the past events and history is necessary so that our young people may understand perfectly the root cause of the conflict with India and also the problem among the Nagas which has been created by mischievous leaders like Th. Muivah.
On the part of India, India is saying that the conflict between India and Nagaland is a case of secession and it is an internal affair of India. But the Nagas know that it is a case of aggression and invasion and not an internal affair of India. Also your NSCN leaders are saying that the Shillong Accord was the root cause of killings and division among the Nagas. But NNC and FGN can clearly show that the formation of NSCN (and not the Shillong Accord) was the main cause of the division and killings among brothers. It is true that a Shillong Accord was signed in 1975 and NSCN was formed after that. But which one caused the division and killings among the Nagas is needed to be proven by history. So I would state the facts as follows:
Your leaders had been distorting Naga history. Your history was started from 1980 and was called a revolutionary movement. That means your leaders revolted against the NNC and FGN- your own Government and your own nation. This is completely different from what the Naga national stand is. As for your leaders, they had been demanding autonomous status, integration, greater Nagaland, supra state, and shared sovereignty one after the other. Such demands are portraying the Indo-Naga conflict as an internal affair of India. By doing so, your leaders are helping India by portraying Nagas as rebels demanding a greater status within India. That is why your leaders got peace bonus from India and with that they have built up their luxurious lives.
In your article you have talked about Shillong Accord but you do not know under what circumstances it was signed and also why it was not implemented by India. But one thing that you have stated is true that Muivah and Isak condemned the Accord and it died. Surely then, if the Shillong Accord is dead, even the first clause of the accord that you are accusing the NNC and FGN of being guilty should also have died with the death of the Accord. As the accord is dead, what has been written in the accord has also died with it and we need not to talk of it anymore. So, what you have talked about the first clause of the accord is nonsense and foolish.
If you want to know more about this dead Shillong Accord you may also refer to what Naga Army ex-General Thinoselie M. Keyho has written for the NSCN IM leaders and soldiers in his article which appeared in the Morung Express on 18th January 2016.
You have also stated this in your article that Isak and Muivah condemned the Shillong Accord and that the accord is now dead because they have condemned it. But please remember that Muivah and Isak condemned the accord while they were still in the NNC and FGN. They were at that time the General Secretary of NNC and Foreign Minister of the FGN. Therefore the record and credit of condemning the Shilling Accord goes to the NNC and FGN because Muivah and Isak condemned it while still under NNC and FGN.
On the part of the FGN who were still holding the home government at that time in Nagaland, they also issued a statement on 30th December 1975 where President Zashei on behalf of the FGN had clearly stated that because of Article 139 and 140 of the Naga Yehzabo, his government cannot accept clause 1 and 3 of the Shillong Accord. (Articles 139 and 140 of the Naga Yehzabo clearly state that only the Central Executive Council of the NNC can decide on the fate of the nation). This meant that clause 1&3 of the Shillong Accord cannot be used as a basis for any settlement between the GOI and FGN. This statement was given by the FGN President after the Federal Emergency meeting held at Dihoma from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 1975. The statement was handed over to the Governor of Nagaland on Jan.3, 1976. The record for the condemning and rejecting of the Shillong Accord is therefore not only Muivah and Isak, but also President Zashei Huire on behalf of the Federal Government of Nagaland. These condemnation and rejections of the Shillong Accord was not at all an NSCN IM record because NSCN or NSCN IM did not exist at that time (1975/76).
Please remember that NSCN was formed only on Jan 31, 1980 and NSCN IM in May 1988. Therefore, neither the NSCN nor the NSCN IM were anywhere in the picture when the Shillong Accord was condemned in the 1970’s.
Condemnation of the Shillong Accord is also not the record of those who are calling themselves as “Non-Accordists” today. This is because all these so called “Non Accordist” were also with the NNC and FGN when the accord was condemned. It was only after they were driven out from the Peace camps (by the Indian Government) for having taken rehabilitation money that they started calling those who were in the Peace camps as “Accordist” and themselves as “Non-Accordist.” In fact, those who were driven away from the Peace camps by the Indian Government are the Accordist because they had already accepted rehabilitation from the Indian Government. Finally, it should also be remembered that what Zashei did as the President of the FGN was done on Dec. 30, 1975 which is before Isak and Muivah returned home from abroad on January 6, 1976 into Langkhiang area in Eastern Nagaland. These then are the true facts of the Shillong Accord which had been grossly twisted and distorted by Muivah and Isak.
According to all the real facts, the records of the NNC and FGN are clean. In fact in that clean history of the NNC and FGN, even Th. Muivah and Isak, the then, NNC General Secretary and Finance Minister themselves kept the NNC and FGN’s record clean by condemning the Accord. Why then are they now saying that the NNC has failed to uphold the trust of the people? The NNC did not fail to uphold the trust of the people. It is they -Muivah and Isak who have failed to uphold the trust of the people. They threw away the trust and mandate of the people when they defected from the NNC and formed another political organization without the mandate of the Naga nation. That is the true history of our Nagas which many of you have failed to understand. After they themselves kept the record of NNC clean, why did they reject the NNC is a question that must be answered by them to the present Nagas as well as to the relatives of all who have laid down their lives for the Naga nation.
Another question is; why have some Nagas including our Konyak people rejected the NNC/FGN? What was the reason for them to reject the NNC/FGN? Was it because Isak and Muivah had rejected it that they too had to do so? Indeed, Isak and Muivah have done it for their own interest. But what is the interest of these people for rejecting the NNC, which is the only authentic political institution of our nation? In September 2011, one of our Konyak leaders stated that our leaders had done wrong to condemn the NNC for the dead Shillong Accord. His statement was true, and we have no reason to reject or condemn the NNC.
Another question is: Have these people rejected the NNC for its non-violence policy and maintaining Peace? Yes, your leaders once arrogantly rejected the non-violence policy of NNC, saying; “We rule out the illusion of saving Nagaland through peaceful means. It is arms and arms again that will save our nation and ensure freedom to the people”.
Why then are you now staying in designated Camps? If you are also staying in the so-called designated Camps, why are you condemning the other Nagas who are maintaining peace for the interest of peaceful solution to the Indo-Naga conflict?
We can fight our enemy through peaceful means with the might of historical facts and truth. Our people’s 99.9% verdict to remain independent shown through the national Plebiscite of 16th May 1951 is still intact and valid. This should not be nullified by demanding shared sovereignty or autonomy. The world is now on our favor and we can hope for solving our problem through peaceful means. So stop alleging false accusation against your own people and fighting against the NNC.
Capt. (Retd.) Longshah Konyak , Member , Central Executive Council, NNC
