Dimapur, September 21 (MExN): Two Ao organisations in Chümoukedima and Ao Lanur Telongjem (ALT) Mokokchung have come out strongly in support of veteran Naga leader and former Chief Minister Dr SC Jamir, condemning recent remarks questioning his identity, credibility and right to speak on the Naga political issue.
The Ao Senso Telongjem Chümoukedima (ASTC) and Ao Youth Organisation Chümoukedima (AYOC) said they “strongly and unequivocally” support Dr Jamir and “firmly reject any attempt to question his Naga identity or deny him the right to speak on matters concerning his people.”
Addressing Jamir as “a son of the Naga soil” who has served Nagaland and the nation for decades in various public and constitutional capacities, the organisations said his long public service and political experience gave him “every legitimate right” to express his views on the Naga political issue and the future of his people.
“No organisation, political group or individual has the exclusive authority to decide who among the Nagas has the right to speak,” the statement said.
The organisations, however, clarified that political disagreement with Jamir’s views was “entirely legitimate,” and that his historical interpretations or political positions could be debated, challenged or rejected through facts, evidence and reasoned arguments.
They asserted that disagreement cannot justify questioning his Naga identity or declaring that he has no right to speak, and stressed that the Naga political issue belongs to the Naga people as a whole and is “not the exclusive property of any one organisation, group, leader or generation.”
“Every Naga has the democratic right and responsibility to participate in discussions concerning the political future of our people,” they said.
Urging all concerned to maintain respect, restraint and dignity in public discourse, the organisations said differences of opinion should lead to dialogue and constructive debate rather than personal attacks or attempts to silence fellow Nagas. They added that the focus should remain on finding a peaceful, honourable and lasting political solution while safeguarding the rights, identity and future of the Naga people.
Reiterating their “unwavering support and solidarity” with Jamir, the two organisations affirmed that his voice, like that of every Naga, “cannot be silenced or invalidated merely because his political position differs from that of others.”
In a separate statement, the ALT registered its “profound outrage” over what it called persistent, politically motivated personal attacks on Jamir by leaders of the NSCN (IM) and the NPF. It took exception to remarks by NSCN (IM) leaders VS Atem and RH Raising, who, it said, sought to dismiss a veteran statesman as a “non-entity” in the Naga political discourse.
The ALT censured Atem’s claim that Jamir is neither authorised nor mandated to represent the Naga people in ongoing negotiations, and Raising’s assertion that Jamir is “not an advocate of the Naga people.”
“Dr SC Jamir is a true son of the soil who has dedicated his entire life to the service of Nagaland and its people. He possesses every right to speak on the Naga political issue,” it stated.
Questioning the NSCN (IM)’s claim to an “absolute monopoly or exclusive mandate” when 37 Naga political groups exist today, the ALT asked where Atem and Raising were when the Nagas submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929, during the 1951 Naga Plebiscite, or when the Naga People’s Convention was held at Ungma in 1958.
It asserted that the Naga issue belongs to no single individual or faction and that every Naga has an equal stake in the collective political future.
While political disagreement is permissible, “vilification and attempts to erase his relevance are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” it said.
The ALT also referred to four failed assassination attempts on Jamir’s life, saying it was “providence that saved him on all occasions,” and asked whether the NSCN (IM) leadership harboured the illusion that his legacy could be erased from history.
It demanded that Atem and Raising retract their statements at the earliest.
The ALT also took serious exception to reported remarks by Achumbemo Kikon, MLA and NPF secretary general, labelling Jamir “an old man in a hurry.” It said that while Kikon is viewed as a rising politician with potential, “deriding a veteran who devoted his life to Nagaland is unbecoming of a responsible public figure.”
“If, in Mr. Kikon’s estimation, Dr. Jamir is ‘an old man in a hurry,’ it may equally be said that Mr. Kikon is a young man in a hurry to build his political standing,” the ALT said. It said Kikon’s remarks had deeply hurt the sentiments of Ao youth and urged him to exercise restraint, stressing that the contributions of pioneer leaders must not be dismissed casually.
Reiterating that the Naga political issue requires an early, honourable and inclusive settlement based on the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position, the ALT said the present generation cannot afford to be blinded by political shortsightedness that risks deepening internal divisions among the Naga people.
