Zunheboto, June 13 (MExN): Following the criticisms of Chief Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu’s condolence message for SS Khaplang, NSCN (K) Chairman, by national media, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) Zunheboto division today defended the Chief Minister.
“To every Naga, the Naga political issue comes above the rest of the issues. Even an enemy can show respect to its counterpart enemy; every Naga patriot is a brother and a sister to the Nagas and nothing can stop us from wishing goodbyes among us,” asserted a press statement from Akavi Sumi, President, NPF Zunheboto division.
It maintained that the fourth estate should keep the history or the story of events or incidents in their fingertips and comment and that they are duty bound to always play a neutral role, irrespective of the issues. “However, it is very unfortunate that some media fraternity are becoming pro-nationalist or pro- to personal interests,” the NPF division added.
The statement further affirmed that the Nagas were free indigenous sovereign people - politically, economically, culturally, traditionally, in custom etc. “The colonial British administrated a chunk of Nagaland by abolishing head hunting practices and levied minimal house tax and the rest, assured to its Republic form of governance till 1947. On August 14, 1947, Nagas declared sovereign independent nation. However, the newly formed India union of states derecognised and sent its mighty army for aggression...” Hitting out at a particular news channel, it questioned how its journalists will comment on this issue.
“If the fourth estate of mainland India wants to question the credential of the Chief Minister's chair for writing condolence message, they have to justify first, the inhumane atrocities committed to the Nagas for the last 7 decades. No amount of wealth and appeasement can compensate or comprehend the martyr, loss and sufferings the Nagas had and have been undergoing at the hands of the Indian government,” it further stated.
Pointing out that Dr. Shürhozelie is not only the Chief Minister of Nagaland but also the President of NPF party, the Zunheboto division of NPF asserted propagating for the factions to share the round table for Naga political solution is his duty bound obligation to his party's aims and objectives.
If the journalists who criticised the condolence message failed to be convinced by this “justification statement”, the NPF Zunheboto division said, they may move a ‘live debate’ on the issue, “which shall be warmly welcome.”
