DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 3 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has accused the Working Committee (WC), Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) of colluding with agents of the Government of India (GoI) and trying to put the former on the wrong side of the Naga political struggle. It likened the alleged WC-GoI collusion to history repeating “when the Indian intelligence agency and their cohorts (NPC) hijacked the Naga political issue by bringing the 16 Point Agreement that led to the creation of the state of Nagaland, leaving out the interests of the Nagas in other areas.”
The scathing statement was issued by the NSCN (IM)’s Ministry of Publicity on December 3. The WC had issued an equally scornful statement on November 23 alleging the NSCN (IM) of changing “goalpost” and coming in the way of a solution to the Indo-Naga political imbroglio by denying “the Naga people a just and honourable political solution.”
Warning of groups hijacking the Naga issue, “giving false appearance taking the name of Naga freedom fighters,” it said that the WC is refusing to learn from history and is on a collision course with the historical and political rights of the Nagas by defending a “condemned and rejected” 16-Point Agreement.
While accusing the WC leaders of taking shelter in Indian military camps before the 1997 ceasefire, it alleged a senior WC leader and a prominent politician of the state of taking weapons from the GoI to finish off the NSCN (IM), issuing “quit notice to a particular tribe” and orchestrating targeted killings of innocents.
“Their professed role as Naga freedom fighters is therefore, smeared with the blood of innocent Nagas,” it said, while terming the WC as “stooges” controlled by the GoI agents.