The NSCN (I-M) also insisted that the Government of India’s scheme of things as proposed under the controversial KAATC should find their support from historical legitimacy.
TFM Desk
“Simply to appease the Karbi militants at the cost of overlooking the indigenous Rengma Nagas will only complicate the matter,” said National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isaak-Muivah) regarding the creation of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC).
The Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) should study the issue from a credible historical perspective and should not allow itself to be carried away by the unjustified generosity of the Government of India and state government of Assam in the good name of controlling Assam militants, asserted NSCN (I-M) in a release on Monday.
The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isaak-Muivah) also asserted that the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) was befooling the people by being ignorant of their roots blinded by the proposed “KAATC syndrome”.
The Naga group was reacting to KSA’s reaction to the press statement by the NSCN (I-M) on the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) issue, which the Naga group claimed that it ignored the legitimate rights of the Rengma Nagas, who are the “true sons” of the soil in Karbi Anglong.
The NSCN (I-M) also listed a bunch of books for “enlightenment of their place in history” —
1. Assamese history book, Rengma Naga Jonogosty Otit and Bortoman (which means – Rengma Naga History Past and Present, Book of the Year-1841, page no. 34. You will get to know the 52 villages of Rengma as well recognised in the history, it said.
2. The book on the province of Assam written by A.J. Moffat Mills, page No 216 and 217, (The Rengma Naga)
3. Travel In Assam by John Bulter
4. North East Frontier of India by Alexander Mac Kenzie. Going through these books will serve as guide books to know the roots of Karbis (Mikirs) in Assam history, it added.
5. Map detail on Rengma Hills: The year – 1845 – 1846 and the year – 1848, 1875 and 1884
Maintaining that historical references are available in plenty about the bona fide status of the Rengma Nagas, or for that matter about the Karbis in the socio-political melee of Assam history, the NSCN (I-M) asserted that irrespective of tribe affiliation, the Rengma Nagas or Karbis, nobody can play fool with the well documented historical records.
The NSCN (I-M) also insisted that the Government of India’s scheme of things as proposed under the controversial KAATC should find their support from historical legitimacy.
The NSCN (I-M) further asserted that KSA need to go deeper into the history books available in plenty to know where they stand and scrutinize themselves if their claim is supported by historical facts.
“The KSA should not dwell in their own make believe world without respecting or admitting the factual account of history. The Karbis who are immigrants from different places like Sivasagar, Nagaon, Cachar, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, Silchar and Khasi and Jaintia Hills during the British Rule cannot claim themselves the status of original inhabitants”.
The Naga group who is in peace talks with the GoI, contended that the British Ruler have declared the present Karbi Anglong areas as Rengma Naga Hills for the legitimate reason as they find the areas inhabited by the Rengma Nagas. The declaration came into effect vide 1841 Official Gazette, it claimed.
“Whatever status the Karbis are enjoying now in the Rengma Naga Hills, it is all rooted in immigration from other places as mentioned here, courtesy the British Ruler,” it added.