NTC also alleged that one of the “senseless” United Naga Council (UNC) Manipur’s resolutions exposed the ground realities that “the loss and the suffering of the Nagas of Nagaland is the gain and enjoyment of the Nagas in Manipur”.
TFM Desk
Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) on Wednesday called upon NSCN (I-M) to be transparent and to bring out its “competencies” to the public domain.
In a press release issued by its media cell, NTC said it had an in-depth deliberation on the current political dialogue between the government of India and the Naga Negotiators in its general session. The deliberation was held on May 31, 2022 at the Conference Hall, Red Cross building, Kohima.
In the release, NTC said that the political negotiation between the government of India and the Naga Negotiators has reached its “silver jubilee and the people cannot wait any longer”.
The NTC observed that the government of India is absolutely clear on its parameters of negotiations with the understanding that was reached on October 31, 2019 and therefore it is incumbent on the NSCN (I-M) to take a call without wasting more time.
While observing the performances of the Core Committee on Naga Political Issue (CCoNPI) formed under UDA, the NTC said CCoNPI tends to “misuse its role” while projecting itself to be the indispensable broker between the centre and the Naga negotiators.
“The CCoNPI is at best a facilitator as any other facilitators and therefore its members giving statements on any agenda of any of the negotiators is uncalled for. This is not the season for any facilitator including CCoNPI to assert so as to claim political mileage on the prevailing situation by misguiding the gullible public and such ambition has to be restrained. Indeed, everyone’s effort, be it the negotiator or the facilitator, must be focussed on solution alone and not otherwise”, said NTC.
Quoting from the local papers dated May 29, 2022 “The CCONPI is also likely to apprise Assam Chief Minister and NEDA convenor HB Sarma on the outcome of Saturday’s meeting so as to take forward to the Centre”, NTC said this implied that what was the outcome of the meeting between NSCN (I-M) and the CCoNPI on May 28, 2022 at Chumukedima, Dimapur is to be submitted to the Assam CM who then will convey it to the government of India.
“We have the official Naga negotiators, namely, NSCN (I-M) and WC, 7 NNPGs and we too have a legitimate state government having equal status as Assam has. The NTC rejects the modus operandi of the CCoNPI as though the Naga negotiators do not have access to GoI through the official emissary and as though the State of Nagaland is secondary to any other State. The NTC warns the CCoNPI not to over indulge or to expose the competencies on the negotiating table sacred to the Nagas”, said the NTC release.
The NTC also reacted to one of the resolutions adopted by the United Naga Council’s (UNC) Presidential Council held on an emergency at Imphal on May 27, 2022 that was released to the media on May 29, 2022 particularly to the first paragraph.
Quote. “What is the hurry now? Can we accept it if the Government of India give(s) any damned thing? The Nagas must take our own time.” Unquote.
The NTC questioned “whether we are in hurry to have political solution even after 25 years of political negotiation? What logic the UNC has to get better dividend out of longer period of negotiation? Can UNC ensure the retention of the indefinite ceasefire between the GoI and the Naga negotiators only under which environment such dialogues take place? Such senseless resolution exposes the ground realities that the loss and the suffering of the Nagas of Nagaland is the gain and enjoyment of the Nagas in Manipur”.
“The people of Nagaland are tired of multiple taxations. Be it the facilitators or the negotiators, whoever is using delaying tactics to thwart the political solution are indeed the exploiters of the bona fide citizens of Nagaland. The NTC therefore totally disagrees with the UNC”, said NTC.
NTC also stated that the Nagas are basically democratic people and that Naga democracy is one of the purest forms of all the democracies in the world. “We have inherited this culture of democracy from our forefathers. Under this realm, dissent is the quintessence of democracy and that remains the inalienable part of the culture and tradition of the bona fide Nagas wherever they are to be transparent and exert its true feeling for the wellbeing of the Nagas”, observed NTC.
NTC said it detested the attempt of political group to curtail or intimidate the stakeholders from expressing its opinion or observation. “Such attempts are alien to our culture”, added NTC.