Dimapur, Nov 7 (MExN): Buttressing its tirade against Goa Governor (and former Nagaland Chief Minister) SC Jamir, the NSCN-IM today came out with what it stated were his aspiration to “push the Naga national movement into the coffin and bury it under the Indian constitutional cemetery”. A seven page statement issued by the NSCN (IM) MIP further alleged that Jamir’s next move was not aimed at solving the Naga political issue “but to garner votes, so that he continues to retain his status and his party comes back to power during the next Indian elections that is round the corner”.
The NSCN (IM) charged that Jamir’s priority was to keep the Naga people “under the shackles of division and internal strife, so that the vexed Indo-Naga political problem is relegated to the confines of the Indian constitution”.
“With materialistic lure and hypnotisms in the form of economic growth, developments and packages, attempt to divert our attention away from our immediate national political objective is being endeavored”, the MIP stated.
Stating that the “bedrock of Mr SC Jamir’s policy” was to break Naga solidarity, the NSCN (IM) pointed out that these ‘Naga Indians’ acted as agents of the Indian government and formed themselves into the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) in 1975. “The NPC never had the mandate of the Naga people and was formed in opposition to the Naga national movement in an attempt to break the Naga solidarity”, it stated adding that a few alienated Nagas who composed the NPC passed resolutions drafted by Mr Dutt, an official of the Indian Intelligence Bureau, and the 16-point agreement came into being. “The State of Nagaland was created with the purpose of undermining the Naga national movement and distracting the Naga people from the aspired goals in the name of peace”, the MIP stated.
The NSCN (IM) also made mention of a “top secret Joint Directive for Counter Insurgency Operations in Nagaland that is still in force” and pointed out that the ‘Directive’ stated that the “Government of Nagaland along with the Central Government agencies would carry out psychological warfare against the Naga people with the aim to divide, disorganize and induce defections of members of the hostile (Nagas) movement”.
The themes which would be taken up in this psychological operation would include the promotion of the idea that ‘Nagaland state is already a full fledged state and the people have got what they want’, the NSCN (IM) stated.
“Mr SC Jamir’s propagandas are a part of the psychological warfare which is trying to sell the idea that ‘Statehood is the bedrock of Naga society; that is Mr Jamir’s hidden agenda which stands exposed to the Naga people” the release stated. “When he says ‘statehood has been one of the best things to have happened to the Naga people…’ what does he mean by ‘one of the best things that could have happened to the Nagas?’ Does he mean the best is achieved and imply that the worst is left for the final Indo-Naga political solution then? Is statehood to Mr Jamir the best and the final solution? Or is there a second-best solution” the NSCN-IM queried. To drive its point, the NSCN-IM produced a “Secret” letter, dated March 22, 1963 purportedly written by SC Jamir to “Oku Shilu”, (P Shilu Ao) Chief Executive Councilor.
(Quoted from the letter to P Shilu: “You might have read Prime Minister’s statement in the Lok Sabha on the 19th about his willingness to meet Phizo in India. He has given one condition i.e., to stop violence in Nagaland. In my opinion he has political implications, directly or indirectly and undermining the agreement made between the Naga People’s Convention and the Government of India for creation of separate state of Nagaland. Since I cannot tolerate such double standard policy of the Government of India, I made a statement on 20th March, 1963. I believe you have not given consent to his meeting with Phizo and if you have given, this is political blunder on our part. If he starts negotiating with Phizo, I am prepared to come back because there is no use sitting here to be only laughing stock. I believe that we are quite capable to create more troubles than the hostiles could do. If the government does not want those people who work for the creation of this state, the only alternative is to withdraw our signature from the agreement….”)
“This letter written by him to Mr P Shilu clearly states his (Jamir’s) opposition to the Prime Minister’s wishes to meet the Naga leader Mr AZ Phizo for entering into a peaceful dialogue to try and solve the Indo-Naga Political problem. And it also clearly states his readiness to revolt against such turnout, referred to as blunder, with hostile measures” the NSCN-IM stated, adding that the 1964 ceasefire came about because of the people’s opposition to the forced occupation of the land and opposition to the 16-Point Agreement. The MIP release also highlighted what it stated was the speech of Jamir at the ‘All India Chief Minister’s Conference in 2002. (Quoted from the speech: “Sir, you must also be aware that the mission of the two NSCN-IM leaders was largely unsuccessful in as much as there was no meeting ground between them and the Naga public with whom they have had wide-ranging consultations. While Isaac Swu and Th Muivah sought to impose their hegemony and project the NSCN (IM) as the only representative body of the Nagas, the public by and large wanted that peace, unity and reconciliation among various factions of the Naga underground should precede any political dialogue and eventual settlement…”)
The NSCN-IM stated that though Jamir may disguise the ‘facts of his misadventures’, his intentions and motives are well-recorded in black and white and that his denying the statement at the conference shed much light on his moral fiber and disposition. The release lamented that Jamir relegates the Naga political issue to that of an internal law and order problem and not a political issue between “India and Nagalim” and that the Collective Leadership has been likened to “insurgents/hostiles/terrorists engaged in unlawful activities that sneaked into Nagalim almost unnoticed”.
“Politicians are smart at words and may be sly enough to steer away from all culpability but good image. But they cannot outsmart authentic history for it will remain un-erased and deeply on facts which none will be able to evade” the NSCN-IM observed and pointed out how, on December 2, 1999, Jamir was quoted as stating that “the problems of Nagaland Nagas and those of Manipur were separate issues; they should not be mixed up” and again on December 12, 2003 Jamir’s statement that “Nagas wanted sovereignty but not integration”.
