Morung Express News
December 18
DIMAPUR: The Collective Leadership of the NSCN (IM) has formally invited former comrade from the NNC, General Thenoselie to join the organization in the rank of Vice-President. The decision to invite General Thenoselie, a former Army Chief of the FGN/NNC was officially intimated by the organization’s General Secretary Th. Muivah during their recent meeting held at Bangkok.
“They have approached me to work alongside them as Vice-President but I have not made up my mind”, Thenoselie said when contacted by The Morung Express over phone. The General returned home to Kohima today after over a week’s stay in Bangkok. It may be mentioned that Thenoselie has maintained regular contact with his former comrades Muivah and Chairman Isak Chishi Swu all of whom worked together in the NNC.
Underlining his position that he was least interested in holding any post, Thenoselie, who has retained his primary membership in the NNC, in no uncertain terms said that his only interest was to unite all the Naga underground groups.
“I have made no commitment to my friend in the NSCN (IM) and I am still undecided”, he said while admitting that he had some ideological differences with them. Thenoselie however said that his talks with Muivah over the possibility of joining the NSCN (IM) will continue although he did not put any time frame. “My talks with Muivah will continue. It is not closed yet”, he said.
Thenoselie however had a dig at the current leadership of mass based groups like the Naga Hoho pointing out that he was not at all happy in the manner in which they were operating. “They should work more sincerely and most importantly without any partiality”, he said while advising them not to deride the identity of the other three factions. “Most of our people are opportunists and always want to be on the winning side while forgetting the toil and similar sacrifices made by others but who are now being forgotten without due recognition”, the senior General strongly expressed.
He also said that the Naga Hoho was misleading the NSCN (IM) through what he termed as ‘wrong encouragement’ given to the outfit but did not elaborate further. He reiterated the point that Nagas should work for unity before any settlement. A similar message was conveyed to the NSCN (IM) leadership by General Thenoselie. “I know the past and present and will be able to help the warring sides”, he said with a note of optimism in his remark.
Thenoselie will now start his own consultation process to take suggestions from well wishers, former comrades, members of the intelligentsia, Church leaders and the civil society based groups on the specific invitation put forward by the NSCN (IM) and also the possibility of him facilitating understanding among the warring factions. “If we can reason together and talk freely and frankly by meeting face to face and not from a distance and if our approach is humane, there is no reason why we cannot come together,” he said.
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