Indo-Naga Talks: Day of reckoning is here — NSCN (IM)

‘No individuals are untouchable to come to common ground to save the Naga nation’

Dimapur, Oct. 17 (EMN): Amid the uncertainty over the fate of Indo-Naga negotiations—especially in the aftermath of the three-month deadline from Prime Minister Narendra Modi— the NSCN (IM) has asserted that ‘this is certainly the reckoning time for the Nagas’.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the group maintained that Nagas have now been “driven to the point where we have to decide which way to go —either we allow ourselves to be exploited because of our insanity or we decide ourselves by taking the right decision at the right time.”

It reminded that the world would be watching how Nagas handle ‘this defining moment’. “Above everything, God is also definitely keeping an eye to see how Nagas, irrespective of groups or factions, civil society organisations, churches and individuals take their ground to uphold the course of Naga history.

“In this testing moment, no sacrifice is too big to save the Naga nation from drifting away into oblivion, and no individuals are untouchable to come to common ground to save the Naga nation. And no leaders are too big before God to humble themselves to find the meeting point with other leaders to save the Naga nation,” read the statement.

It asserted that it was because of “our martyrs of hundreds of thousands” that Naga people have come this far to negotiate with the government of India “to present our historical and political rights in the manner that ultimately won the recognition of our unique history and situation to put us in the winning position.”

The government of India and her agencies, it stated, are at work sleeplessly to “exploit our vulnerabilities” to pull away many Naga individuals or groups with monetary baits and other highly rated economic packages.

“These are short-term gains that do not merit the blood of our martyrs. Certainly, our Naga history will not end here and the time will come in history when our children who will take over the rein to finish the unfinished task from us will question us for our failure to take the right decision at the right time.

“Unfortunately, we have seen the rise of many black sheep who shamelessly exalt themselves in the media with their venomous write ups, and selected few civil society groups that are going extra vocal putting pressure upon the stakeholders to sign off the agreement within the time limit set by the prime minister of India notwithstanding whatever is to be lost. No doubt, these are the people with dubious standing, least bothered to defend the legitimate historical and political rights of the Nagas,” read the statement.

According to the NSCN (IM), it is not too late to rethink over the steps ‘they have taken lest the wrath of our own people come in heaps’.