Karaiba Chawang
Lungwa (Mon) | April 14
Commenting on the recent proposal of the Naga Hoho for reconstitution of the Reconciliation Committee, NSCN-K leader Wangtin Konyak on Thursday said the Naga Hoho should have embarked on this initiative in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was about to be signed with the Government of India.
“Had they proceeded with this initiative since 1997, all those who have been killed in the factional fights or on suspicion will be living today”, said Wangtin, blaming the Naga Hoho for the present impasse. He also said that the NSCN-K is fed up of factional feuds as all those who died were all Naga boys. Factional feuds are only vengeance acts of the Naga leaders, the Kilonser said.
Pointing out that Nagas have lost four great opportunities for reconciliation, Wangtin said that at Atlanta in 1997, when Baptist World Alliance invited all the groups for talks under the aegis of Jimmy Carter and Dr. Portray, unfortunately the NSCN-IM turned the offer down; the next in Kohima on August 3, 2003, when Naga Hoho and NBCC organized the reconciliation day where one of their Lieutenants named Lawrence was killed in broad daylight; the third in March 2004 when the Council of Kilonsers (NSCN-K) had offered and extended their proposal of a six-month unilateral ceasefire with the NSCN-IM which was signed by their General Secretary Khutovi and General Kholi but the rival rejected even this offer; and the fourth was in July 1997 when the Ceasefire Agreement was signed with the GOI. Here, the NSCN-IM should have invited all the different groups, but instead the former asked the Government of India not to involve other factions in the talks, recounted the NSCN-K leader.
He also alleged that all the Naga leaders are blindly running after Muivah with whom they cannot agree. The NSCN-K, while expounding its ideology, said that they are for unification first and then for solution. However, they said that in contrary the rival faction and Nagas NGOs have been harping on solution first, then unification.
NSCN-K also questioned the sincerity of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s repeated statement that the peace process is in the right direction and the solution is near. “How can he say that peace is in the right direction? And how far the solution is near, Rio should explain”, Wangtin said.
Peace will return to the Nagas only when a perfect leader takes over the realm of Naga political struggle, added Wangtin. The NSCN-K leader also disclosed that very soon the organization will hold talks with the Government of India. But before that, they would meet all the Nagas, he said. Wangtin also said that reconciliation will not come about as long as there are factional fights among the different groups of the Naga undergrounds. He reiterated that the NSCN-K will go for unification first and then for solution.
.jpg)
