Bonnie Konyak
Dimapur | January 10
Realizing the need to strike when the iron is hot, Naga civil bodies are meeting tonight at Sibsagar town of Assam to deliberate the issue of Naga unity. The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisaition (ENPO), who were in Dimapur for the past few days, having a series of meeting with different groups on the same concern, have also left for Assam to join the meeting tonight. The vice president of ENPO, Yonglong Konyak, said that the organization was taking this initiative because it realizes the need to salvage this “last attempt” to unite the different Naga factions into one banner.
After their meeting with the Sumi Hoho on Tuesday, the ENPO met with the NSCN (unification) which is camped in Vihokhu village as well as NSCN (IM) general secretary, Th. Muivah on Wednesday. Speaking to The Morung Express at Hotel Fantasy today, Yonglong said that the ENPO had been warmly welcomed by the NSCN (IM) general secretary. He said that while Muivah was in disagreement with the NSCN (unification) on their method of going about the process without consulting others, the general secretary, “in principle” agrees on Naga unification. Muivah is said to have conveyed to the ENPO that following their unification initiative with other Nagas, if all Nagas agreed to unite, he would stick with their decision for unity.
These meetings of the ENPO with various groups at Dimapur the past few days, are being carried out as per the organisation’s resolution during its meeting in Tuensang on December 18, that it would work for the unity of all the Nagas. Yonglong disclosed that ENPO had first met among themselves in the morning of January 8 followed by the meeting with the Sumi Hoho the same day at noon. After a long discussion, the ENPO and Sumi Hoho had come into understanding and drawn up a resolution where it decided to appeal to all Nagas to unify. For the same purpose, the meeting formed a committee consisting of 18 members. The committee headed by a convenor and a co-convenor, will comprise of the president and a member of each of the six tribes under the ENPO, four members of the Sumi Hoho,
This committee has been given the responsibility to contact all the Naga tribes, societies and forums, with the objective of working out together the modalities for Naga unity. Yonglong said that irrespective of territorial boundaries, they would try to bring all the tribes together for this purpose. “We will consider all the Nagas as Nagas”, he emphasized. This same positive sentiment of including all Nagas into the unification process was echoed by Azheto of the Unification Group today at Vihokhu village during an interview with the NeTV correspondent. “Unification was for all Nagas from Manipur, Burma, Arunachal, Assam”, Azheto said.
The committee is now depending on the civil societies to extend a willing hand. Yonglong says that nothing has been finalized but they will work as facilitators to bring all the Naga civil societies together and work out the modalities and then offer the terms of modalities to the different factions and insist that they come together.
Talking of this mammoth task that now lies before that, Yonglong Konyak said that Naga civil societies needs to understand the impending danger and the need to cooperate and work together for Naga unity. He said that despite initial hesitation, the ENPO had become involved in the process because it could foresee the need “to rebuild the situation now.” The ENPO vice president communicated his fears saying, “If Naga people do not come into this initiative of the ENPO, the situation will become worse” and therefore appealed to all Nagas to take the opportunity to work out the future of the Nagas.
ENPO, Sumi Hoho resolution
A joint meeting of the ENPO and Sumi Hoho held January 8 at Thahekhu village undertook a number of resolutions. A copy of the 4-point resolutions was received here, appended by executives from both organizations.
(Verbatim): Whole heartedly support all initiatives and efforts for the unification of Naga people irrespective of territorial demarcation; that irrespective of territorial demarcation, there should be no bloodshed, threat, intimidation and discrimination in any form amongst the Nagas. Violation and contrary to the above, the ENPO and Sumi Hoho shall appeal to the public for non-cooperation for non-compliance to the above by any faction/group etc; the ENPO and Sumi Hoho shall appeal to all other Nagas to strengthen all initiatives for any unification process, and shall jointly oppose any form and practices of tribalism amongst the Nagas; there shall be a joint coordination committee of the ENPO and Sumi Hoho. “The above is solemnly affirmed by the joint house and jointly pledge to abide and implement in good spirit and faith” it added.
