WC-NNPGs asserted that the rights of the Nagas cannot be “annulled and erased” inside a small room in Hebron camp or Delhi through Pan Naga Hoho or Yehzabo.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
The Working Committee – Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPGs) on Tuesday said that the “brazen justification of the Pan Naga Hoho (PNH) admitting that it is at incubating stage and being concretized sounds “most outrageous” to the young and old alike in Nagaland”.
In a press statement issued by its media cell, WC-NNPGs pointed that the conceiving “abnormal political structure behind the back of Naga tribes is a crime. To envision a communist inspired Pan Naga Hoho (PNH) with a Dictator in the garb of a Chairman from among southern Nagas with the so-called Yehzabo, designed to make the same dictator order nationalization of private and tribal ancestral properties in Nagaland, is sheer madness”.
WC-NNPGs also asked if this is not a glimpse of a “determined plan for a backdoor entry into Nagaland in the near future”, what else is? “Would any Naga leader worth his salt, hide the post solution political or administrative blueprint from the Naga people for twenty-five years? With every press release, there are clear tell-tale signs that Naga tribes have been taken for a ride, particularly of Nagaland state”.
The group claimed that for twenty-five years Th Muivah and few of his “trusted tribesmen” have been demanding from the government of India, a democratic nation, “to allow them begin an authoritarian regime in Nagaland!”.
In 1929, the Naga pioneers submitted a memorandum to British Statutory Commission as they clearly sensed and foresaw alien destructive political philosophy taking shape in Naga homeland. “Today the communist-socialist inspired philosophy from within Nagas, in the form of obnoxious PNH powered by a despicable code called Yehzabo is being marketed in Nagaland. This political philosophy exists only in the imagination of few southern Naga IM leaders. It will have no buyers in Nagaland. This idea originated from a mind or minds who do not understand the real meaning of a resistance movement”, said WC-NNPGs.
“Nagas resisted the British imperialists and other occupational forces for intrusion into our land and threatening the social order. Today, in the guise of Naga cause, they paint the Naga future landscape with a democratic brush but their dictatorial ambition is visible” claimed WC-NNPGs.
WC-NNPGs stated that the government of India has officially declared multiple times that the present boundary of Manipur state will not be disturbed “which is why the Gol and WC, NNPGs negotiated and agreed, in principle, to give appropriate and adequate political space to Nagas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to practice, promote and strengthen Naga traditions, culture, custom and distinct identity in the divided Naga homeland, through honourable political and administrative arrangements without disturbing state boundaries”.
The group said that there are certain “inalienable rights” of Naga tribes in Nagaland which the “Southern Naga leaders within IM must stay away from”. “Nagaland or for that matter Naga areas in other states have their very own indigenous Naga tribe inhabiting particular area with full community ownership. No part of it can be ceded to another tribe or can be declared a common property of all Nagas now or in the future. The diversity among Nagas of different states, the ancestral lands and rights, cannot be annulled and erased inside inherited liberty and freedom, in the present state of Nagaland, which they want to erase so much, is threatened”.
WC-NNPGs further claimed that the “despotic ideas and insidious policies” were “hatched and brainstormed at Hebron Camp and also at 61, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, by selected Manipur Nagas within the NSCN (I-M)”.
The group pointed out that these policies were “slowly seeping out into the open space like an unbearable stench from a twenty-five years old sewage tank! There are clear demarcated mountains, valleys and streams declaring indigenous domain for each Naga tribes be it in Nagaland or Naga areas in other states”.
WC-NNPGs claimed that Nagaland practices inherent robust democratic ethos in villages, prudent community structure and above all, strong physical, emotional and spiritual connection with the land and its resources.
“Southern Naga IM leaders have forgotten few basic natural laws of Nagaland in their PNH and Yehzabo plan which even Gol, during negotiations, honoured and acknowledged”, said WC-NNPGs.
While arguing that the rights of the Nagas cannot be “annulled and erased inside a small room in Hebron camp or Delhi through PNH or Yehzabo”, WC-NNPGs asked “How dare southern Naga IM leaders talk of empowering a stranger to make new laws on life, death, limit ownership of land or properties, private or community?”
“Even Gol do not dare intrude and infringe on inalienable elements because they know the thread that bind Indians and Nagas will be snapped. Similarly, the ties that bind Nagas of Nagaland and Nagas of Manipur will be snapped when propaganda on sentimentalism, philosophical narrative and romanticization of issue are applied to steamroll and subvert the extraordinary privacy of each Naga tribe, their possessions above and below their feet. History and identity whether between Indians and Nagas or among Nagas cannot be changed or challenged”, added the media cell of WC- NNPGs
Consultative meeting on Naga Political Issue
Meanwhile, a consultative meeting on “Naga Political Issue” was initiated by the Nagaland GaonBura Federation (NGBF) on Tuesday where it was resolved that Nagas of Nagaland would stand as one “entity”
and would collectively react to the “discriminative action” being meted out to “any individual or community” by any element in “self-defense”.
In the meet, it also unanimously resolved to press the central government and the two Naga “negotiating groups” end the ongoing “negotiations” on the understanding which was reached between the government of India and the Naga negotiators on October 31, 2019.
It was in the meeting that resolved to stage a “public rally” and other follow-up actions while constituting an action committee under the nomenclature, Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC) to carry out the “voice” of the people till the desired goal is achieved.
As per the resolution of the house with communication to the apex tribal hohos to officially delegate a representative each to be a member in the committee, the committee would be led by Theja Therie (convener), with Khandao Ngullie (secretary), Dr Seyievilie Mor (finance secretary) and also the representative of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD).
NGBF official also stated that the purpose of the convened meet was to decide collectively what could practically be contribute for the cause of the long standing Naga political issue and also to reassess “what is left” for the future of the political scenario of the state. All civil society organizations, tribal bodies, public leaders, intellectuals and others participated in the consultative meeting.