Newmai News Network
Dimapur | September 15
The adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly on September 13 has immensely boosted the morale of the NSCN-IM. In a statement issued to NNN tonight, the NSCN-IM said that Article 3 of the UN Declaration has added a new dimension to the Indo-Naga issue. The Article 3 of the UN Declaration says “Indigenous peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
With this declaration, the NSCN-IM said tonight that the Nagas’ demand for integrating all contiguous Nagas areas into one administrative unit can no longer be treated lackadaisically. As mentioned by Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issue on the occasion of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous peoples “the declaration has set the minimum international standards for the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Therefore, existing and future laws, policies and programs on indigenous peoples will have to be redesigned and shaped to be consistent with the standard.”
The NSCN-IM asserted that notwithstanding the awareness level of the Nagas on the indigenous peoples’ legitimate right, the real issue now is interpreting this declaration into concrete meaning and to be pushed forward with greater vigor and legalistic strength.
“NSCN would like to join Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, in expressing our gratitude to all individual and NGOs like IWGIA, NCIV, DOCIP, Quakers, Amnesty International, IFG, Rights and Democracy and many others who helped in materializing this declaration,” stated the Naga outfit, adding that in the days to come Nagas shall be counting on the United Nations system to help implement the Declaration, and lack of political will on the part of the government of India should now be given a re-thinking.
Expressing its enthusiasm on the historic declaration made by the world body, the NSCN-IM stated that coinciding, the 61st ‘Nagalim Independence Day Celebration’ with the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, the Nagas have been richly blessed and the Nagas’ case for the last 61 years has been vindicated. “Because, the Nagas have been struggling for right to self determination to decide Nagas’ political status on the ground of claiming themselves to be indigenous people, but having political history of subjugation and suppression”, concluded the NSCN-IM in a statement issued by its Ministry of Information and Publicity.
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