DIMAPUR, AUGUST 26 (MExN): Sketching out the meaning of ‘Freedom’ in the present context, the NSCN (IM) said that it implied both individual and community freedom. And this freedom or rights, he said, was allowed under some given conditions by the state, however he also lamented that many illiterate people with vested interest were mixing up national freedom or freedom movement of the nation with that of individual, tribe or community freedom.
The press release issued by Deputy Kilonsor, MIP, Sangti Konyak also said that people from both advanced and backward tribes were claiming their tribes to be the best thereby implying that other tribes were bad. In the same manner, it added that while some factions were ‘shouting from the rooftops’ that they were the real Naga National group fighting for sovereignty, others were just doing their political business and discussing the matter with the Government of India. “Such mindset and unnecessarily getting to vocal without actually doing anything tangible towards sovereignty only damage and poison our own political atmosphere and become a fertile ground for the anti-Naga forces to denigrate our political society very easily”, the release continued continued.
Quoting the words of Shiv Khera, “Freedom is not free”, the NSCN (IM) stated that for national freedom it was necessary to sacrifice other interest and activities should be national freedom oriented. “In other words, our personal, community or tribal freedom should be surrendered before the national freedom”, it cited.
The NSCN (IM) also there were many types of sovereignty with varying degrees, and the type of sovereignty they were fighting for would depend on the interpretation of the word and how it was approached in the manner demanded by the political situation. This present political situation, it added was to be keeping in view the Naga’s aspiration for honourable political settlement. This sovereignty, the MIP stated could not come to the Nagas as a gift from someone.
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