Dimapur, March 26 (MExN): Luangdimai Citizens Forum (LCF) has opposed the NSCN (IM)’s directive to “duly process for official recognition” of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei saying it is “not acceptable to the Zeliangrong people.” '
The directive was reportedly issued by Secretary to the Vice-President of NSCN (IM) on March 17, 2018 and approved by the Tatar Hoho and was widely circulated on the social media on March 23.
“Such instance of unilateral decision to divide and weaken our Zeliangrong community is not the way to make Naga society any better rather it has spilled animosity and hatred amongst the Zeliangrong people,” asserted a press statement from LCF convenor, Rangro Here and general secretary, Lummei Kamson.
“Luangdimai Citizens Forum having our firm belief and foundation for united Zeliangrong is angered to learn that all these decisions made by the GPRN/NSCN (IM) had been without any consultation with our Zeliangrong frontal organisations or the Zeliangrong people,” it added.
Therefore, the Forum urged the leadership of NSCN (IM) to “revoke the decision to split Zeliangrong community into different tribes.”
It noted that “the Zeliangrong people are one people having our common ancestry, origin, history and culture even though we have slight dialectal variations today as is the case with any other Naga tribes. We are bound by unbreakable fraternal blood relationship that cannot be removed by any force or group and that our forefathers had reaffirmed the same with a sacred vow on 1st April 1934.”
Though Government of India, it said, had over time recognized the community into different names such as Kabui, Inpui, Zeliang, Kutcha Naga, Liangmai, Zeme and Rongmei, “the Zeliangrong people remain firm that we are one tribe.”
“We will remove/rectify all the imposed names in an opportune time. Meanwhile, we never expected that the GPRN which is supposed to be a Government of the Naga people will adopt the policy of 'Divide and Rule' of the colonial masters i.e. both British and India,” it further asserted.
Meanwhile, the statement recalled that Inpui speaking section and Zeliangrong apex body had reached understanding when the former asked for dissociation from the Zeliangrong apex body. Thus, it is now functioning as a separate entity in the pan Naga social/cultural forum. However, there is neither such understanding nor agreement reached within the Liangmai, Rongmei and the Zeme speaking section as of now, it stated.
“Therefore, having to interfere in our internal matter by the leadership of GPRN/NSCN (IM) without the prior consent of the Zeliangrong people and its frontal organisations amounts to total disregard to the sanctity and legitimacy of the office of our Zeliangrong frontal organisations in particular and the Zeliangrong people in general,” the Forum maintained.
LCF assured to extend full support to the Zeliangrong frontal organisations in whatsoever initiatives they take up to “defend and uphold the common interest of the Zeliangrong people.”
