Dimapur, November 15 (MExN): In the backdrop of the UN’s declaration on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, the NSCN-IM says “this is no time to sit and watch.” It is a time “to activate ourselves by educating our own people on the collective right of the Nagas to self determination to the lands, territories and resources, culture and intellectual property; the right to free prior and informed consent of the Indigenous People’s for any state intervention into their environment and the right to determined what is the desired kind of development for Naga communities.”
But the outfit’s MIP lamented that except in Mokokchung and Ukhrul Districts, “other areas are yet to wake up.”
According to an MIP issue, “there are certain international organizations across the world who are enthusiastically taking part to speak up and to defined the indigenous people’s rights, and to exploit this declaration with forward looking approach-to demand the implementation of rights promulgated in the declaration...”
It explained that the world at large knows that Nagas have been suffering long enough from political injustice, discrimination and marginalization. “The UN Declaration is therefore a big stepping stone for the Naga peoples to prod the Government of India into action to address the situation indigenous peoples are in” the NSCN-IM opined.
The seminar on indigenous people’s rights at Mokokchung to be organized by the Concerned Senior Citizens Forum of Mokokchung is very encouraging, the underground outfit stated. The outfit lauded the forum and opined that other areas in Nagaland should take the cue with a sense of urgency to work in line with the UN’s declaration.
