DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 30 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today stated that the 16 Points Agreement “sowed the seeds of colonialism and division” and condemned the commemoration of Nagaland Statehood Day.
It meanwhile accused the Nagaland Governor, RN Ravi’s “divisive involvement” behind the Statehood Day commemoration programme “in order to justify his all out efforts to protect the 16 Points Agreement at all costs.”
A press release from the MIP of the NSCN (IM) claimed that the “present Nagaland state is the brainchild of a few treacherous Nagas that showed up in the name of Naga People’s Convention (NPC) hijacking the Naga issue without the concern of the bona fide freedom fighters.”
It further said that the “Intelligence Bureau was at its divisive game after getting hold of a few Nagas, especially government employees to join the bandwagon, taking the name as Naga People’s Convention.”
The NSCN (IM) claimed that the NPC “without the consent, support and participation of the Naga people arrived at an agreement called the 16 Points Agreement that was responsible for the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian Union.”
“This fragmented the Indian-occupied Naga territories by placing them into different administrative units of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. However, this failed to stop the political aspirations of the Naga people and the Nagas set off the political struggle with greater passion and determination as testified by the ongoing struggle,” it said.
While stating that the “role of NPC was thus rejected and condemned by the Naga freedom fighters including AZ Phizo,” the NSCN (IM) said that the Naga people “shall never allow another political hijack to take place when the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks have already signed the Framework Agreement to nullify any agreements of the past.”
