Calls State Government’s directive to employees 'incompatible with the spirit of Indo-Naga peace process'
DIMAPUR, JULY 21 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has termed the Nagaland State Government’s directive to its employees to disclose their relation with “Naga underground groups” as a “retrograde step” to “cripple the Naga political movement and forcefully bring the Naga political issue under the purview of ‘law and order’ issue.”
Referring to the Nagaland Chief Secretary’s directive on the same dated July 7, the NSCN (IM) said that this was “insulting, demeaning” and a “desperate attempt to browbeat Naga freedom fighters into submission.” “Such a despicable directive stands incompatible with the spirit of Indo-Naga peace process,” a press release from the NSCN (IM) Ministry of Information and Publicity stated.
It meanwhile lamented that Naga IAS/NCS officers “are nowhere in a position to assert themselves to speak out what is right and what is wrong. For all practical purpose they have let down the Naga people and forgotten their root and history.”
The NSCN (IM) further observed that the Nagaland Governor, RN Ravi, who is also the Government of India’s Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga peace talks is trying to “diminish the Naga political issue as mere “law and order problem.”
It also alleged that “Indian intelligence agencies are spreading words that any Naga government employee having relation with Naga underground groups will be terminated from service.”
The NSCN (IM) further took exception to the usage of the word ‘underground groups,’ stating that while “underground groups are outlawed organizations,” there are “no outlawed organizations operating in Nagaland.” It questioned how the NSCN can be designated as an “underground organization” when the Interlocutor “signed the historic Framework Agreement with NSCN General Secretary, Th Muivah as his coauthor, guided and supervised by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in the presence of high dignitaries from India and NSCN.” It said that the Interlocutor had “reduced the most revered Prime Minister of India and top leaders of the GoI to a mere laughing stock.”
The NSCN (IM) said that the Indo-Naga political talk has passed into the hands of six Prime Ministers and “none of them deny the political legitimacy of the Naga political struggle under the banner of NSCN.”
It reminded that while the NSCN was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the same ban was lifted on November 18, 2002, five years after the ceasefire, in order to pave the way for a more meaningful peace process.
It asserted that “from day one since Naga movement started it has been a mass based movement all the way.” “There may not be a single family among the Nagas who is not linked with Naga political movement in one way or the other,” the NSCN (IM) claimed.
The NSCN (IM) further spoke about the international recognition of the Naga movement by the United Nations and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples’ Organization.
It said that the Nagaland Government’s directive, if carried out, would “amount to undermining of Naga political issue.” The NSCN (IM) said this would also amount to the Nagaland State Government “selling out.”
“Such colonial and coercive directive should not be allowed to go through the process of implementation,” it stated, and asserted that the “God given political right of the Naga people cannot be simply throttled.”
The NSCN (IM) meanwhile accused the Government of India of moving to “renege on the Framework Agreement (FA),” and said the Governor’s actions are “directed towards undoing the Framework Agreement.”
“The Naga people believe in peaceful co-existence with India as incorporated in the Framework Agreement. We believe in respecting the problem of India as much as India respects the problem of the Naga people. The FA reflects this spirit,” the NSCN (IM) stated.
However, it feared that the Indo-Naga political talks, “after overcoming all the hurdles is heading to become another political flattery.”
“Naga people will take the stand not to be cowed down by such bigoted policy,” the NSCN (IM) said.
