According to NSF media cell, the decision to put up the banners was necessitated in order to voice out the aspirations of the Naga people during the scheduled global event (B20 summit) on April 5.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), along with its two units-Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), and Diphupar Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), on Tuesday held a “symbolic demonstration” by placing banners at strategic locations in and around the Dimapur Airport junction and till the Patkai bridge, amidst the arrival of the delegates to participate in the G20 summit (B20).
According to NSF media cell, the decision to put up the banners necessitated in order to voice out the aspirations of the Naga people during the scheduled global event (B20 summit) on April 5.
Meanwhile, in a separate press statement issued jointly by the Naga Hoho (NH), Naga Mother’s Association (NMA), NSF, and Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights ( NPMHR), stated that the Nagas are an independent indigenous Nation in assertion to which a “peaceful and prior” informed Plebiscite was conducted in 1951 that resulted in 99.9 percent in support of its independent status as declared on August 14, 1947.
The press statement stated that the Indian armed forces have been occupying Nagas land ever since it’s military aggression in 1954 and that our “nation” was militarized and subjected to ” political and social suppression” and most dehumanizing oppression.
“Left with no option but to defend our political, social, religious, and economic rights, we have resorted to confront and resist the occupational military forces of India and Burma. This war has ever since continued in the midst of two ” ceasefire”, read the joint press statement.
Stating that the Nagas were subjected to live in constant “fear and trauma”, which is never ending nightmare, the press statement also mentioned that Nagas homes and granaries were vandalised and burnt, the armed forces occupying the crop fields, schools, hospitals, and making them their camps, churches being desecrated and making them concentration camps, women and daughters were molested and raped, wives and daughters were subjected to give birth in front of the public.
Citing an example of the former Secretary General, United Nations, Boutros Boutros Ghali, while still holding the office had officially acknowledged these violence, destruction, pain, and untold sufferings of the Nagas by observing that “there is human rights situation in Nagaland”, the statement also went on to add that Nagas are peace loving and most humane people with great respect for peaceful co-existence and courageously defend its dignity as it respect and uphold the dignity of all people exhibited by its great hospitality.
The press statement also added that a political dialogue following the “Ceasefire Agreement” in 1997 is in place and a “Framework Agreement”, 2015, has been signed by the representatives of the Government of India, and the Naga people as the basis to work out the political agreement to resolve the armed confrontation.
It said that although a decade shy of two years has nearly passed, yet the political resoluteness and honourable approach and guarantee on the part of Government of India remains a “dangerous doubt”.
It also implored upon the international community to humanly intervene in the violations of human rights in “Naga country”, recognise its legitimate political, social, economic, and religious rights as enshrined in the United Nations’ Declaration on to the Rights of Indigenous people.
The statement further added that the government of India must stop its militarization and military operations as the Indo-Naga political conflict cannot be solved militarily and must be solved politically as admitted by no less than three Indian Army Generals and others.
“The government of India must honour its word in the Agreement and the Indo-Naga political impasse must be resolved accordingly,” read the joint press statement while adding that on their part, the Nagas have agreed and committed to an “enduring inclusive relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities-between Nagas and the Indians”.