Dimapur, June 27 (MExN): General Secretary of the NSCN (IM) Th. Muivah today said his organization is committed to reconciliation and stands by their “reconciliation declaration” on January 13, 2007. A note from the group’s MIP addressed to the Kyong, asserted to stand on ‘Nagaland for Christ.’
“We have come to Kyong homeland for peace and reconciliation. NSCN will not waver from our January 13th 2007 reconciliation declaration. We are truly committed to the process of reconciliation respecting the two foundations that upholds the inherent aspiration of our Naga people, that is, Nagalim for Christ and the ‘Uniqueness of Naga history and situation’ that is now officially recognized by the GOI,” the note stated.
Muivah expressed pride of “the crucial national decisions taken in the Kyong homeland – NNC formation in Wokha (1946), formation of the Federal Government of Nagaland, FGN at Sanis (1956) and the adoption of resolution for cease-fire declaration at Wokha (1964).We also acknowledge your participation in the labor corps which later formed the Naga Club (1918) and the subsequent submission of memorandum to the Simon Commission (1929).”
The NSCN leader said the leadership of late (NSCN-IM vice president) Khodao Yanthan, “the man who died a pauper for our Naga cause and others from Kyong homeland shall remain an important chapter in the history of the Naga people.” He was not a confused man and was not neutral “when it came to taking the Naga national stand,” Muivah stated. “He made us clear that the 1975 Shillong Accord was not the aspiration of the Nagas and therefore it had to be condemned. We honour him and we will continue to follow his footsteps.”
The NSCN (IM) general secretary also referred to what he said was the systematic campaign of “distorting the history of the Nagas” and referring the movement as “internal law and order problem” and act of “secessionists” and “terrorists.” The memories of atrocities by the Indian military remains, he stated.
Muivah also referred to the formation of the Naga National Council as having initiated a united and organized struggle of the Nagas.
He stated: “However, signing of the 1975 Shillong Accord undermined all the national decisions taken during the time of NNC. We condemned it outright. Our opponents including the traitors who refused to condemn the Shillong Accord joined forces with India to fight against us but after tough fighting of more than 20 years its General Shankar Roy Chaudhury declared that “military way solution is no longer possible.”
The Government of India then agreed that the Indo-Naga issue must be addressed peacefully and politically on three agreed conditions. Later, the recognition of the “Uniqueness of Naga history and situation” by the GOI on July 11, 2002 in the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué acknowledged the historical fact that the Nagas never joined Indian union by consent or by conquest, he said.
“Our current political talks reaffirmed the British occupied Nagas historic decision of declaring Naga Independence on 14th August 1947 and the 1951 plebiscite to live as free people. Recently, in our meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh the hon’ble Prime Minister of India has committed to have a political solution with the Nagas that would be honorable and acceptable to both India and the Nagas through peaceful means,” Muivah added.
