Dimapur, Sept 23 (MExN): Strongly cautioning against ‘burning the whole house down to kill a mouse’ NSCN-IM education Kilonser Tongmeth Wangnao conceded that “we are all equally responsible for what we are today” and that unity is a must. He also urged young and educated Naga “new comers” to “help their leaders in realizing their past limitations”.
Stating to be his second write-up only, in his twenty years of national service, Kilonser Tongmeth was virtually objective in his views on the present Naga political issue.
“I am proud for not making habit of cursing someone for my own failure or our own failure as such I don’t want to blame anyone for today’s mess among ourselves for we are all equally responsible for what we are today” Tongmeth asserted in a statement received here. He shared his observation on “the few events” which, he said, may be attributed for the loss of many precious lives.
“As I wrote first in my first statement I was so optimistic in finding the four Naga great leaders like Chairman Isak, Vice Chairman Khaplang, General Secretary Th. Muivah and C-in-C Kohli making the Naga political movement alive in a very successful manner. But to my dismay I also found some setbacks exists among them, for example greed, jealousy, power monger (sic) and all misunderstanding” he maintained.
Kilonser Tongmeth cited an instance: During 1981-82, there was a “big contention” between Pangmi region and the Konyak region over the issue of Chuyang area. “As honest as they were Chairman Isak and Secretary Muivah said that the area belongs to Konyak. Anyway to make Khaplang comfort the area between Chanlem and Loyi was kept under central control. Since there was no other way out, Khaplang retreated and got sober. But his habit of over ambition continued to dominate his mind and as such he was looking for a chance to avenge in anyway any time” according to Tongmeth.
As for C-in-C Kohli, Tongmeth held this view: “As for C-in-C Kohli he did not plan to overthrow the leadership of Chairman Isak and secretary Muivah. Had he think that way, he could have done it secretly and easily. How can a man who saved their lives dare overthrowing or killing them? His main aim was to show his unhappiness with the then 2nd BN commander Major Haw for his disobedience towards C-in-C. His small mistake was he did not realize the danger of calling back some army officers with arms to him.” Tongmeth further stated that a letter from Khaplang reached Kohli saying “Apna Khong othia tu dhik ase, manu aru pundok julte pothaipi”. “Many co-workers not only Tangkhuls but Pangmis led by Chaplee Kilonser late Hanong and Capt. Longmi, Konyaks led by Dy Kilonser Peyau and Sgt Lanu Phom were killed. Since then the killing is on and on and up till today. Unity which is a must may not come by beating on the bush but by making clear the causes which led to the split on the one hand and by having clear-cut vision on how to go about in solving the long-pending Indo-Naga political problems on the other”.
Tongmeth urged young, educated “new comers” to ‘try’ to help the leaders in realizing their “past mistakes” to built a strong Naga society for the people to live in dignity, adding that “we should not burnt the whole house in order to kill a small mouse.”
