NSCN (IM) amused by BJP and NPF leaders’ statements on Naga political issue

Dimapur, May 27 (EMN): The recent statements made by some Nagaland legislators on the protracted Naga political issue appear to have not gone down well with the NSCN (IM).

In a press release issued on Friday, the group said “Nagaland BJP ministers and NPF political leader” have made some outrageous statements on Naga political solution with reference to Framework Agreement, Naga national flag, constitution and integration, using un-parliamentary language.

While maintaining that nobody wants to prolong Naga issue, ‘more so the NSCN’, it said the issue is getting more sensitive by the day. “This demands careful handling without resorting to derogatory outburst with rhetorical embellishments,” it added.

Citing the sacrifices made for decades, it said “many of the Nagaland state BJP ministers and other party leaders are not able to fully appreciate its complexities and intricacies involved and simply allowing themselves to be carried away by their election syndrome”.

“Nagas have tasted the bitter fruits of the past accord/agreements and there is no way that we should make another blunder to allow ourselves to be flattered again,” it said, adding that the solution should be issue-based guided by the principle-based movement that has lasted for over six decades.

“While we appreciates the enthusiasm shown by the state elected political leaders it would be tantamount to over stepping their role as facilitators when they started jumping beyond their assigned role, making bewildering statement on Naga solution,” it continued.

It said the legislators should resist the temptation to go overboard and cause more confusion.

“NSCN have not signed the Framework Agreement without applying our political insight. We have been guided by our intuition to safeguard our sovereign rights and dignity as a people and as a nation. This is the reason why we have stood our ground and never for other vested interests as wrongly perceived and projected recklessly to jeopardize the sanctity of Naga issue,” it stated.

It said that the way Nagaland BJP Ministers and other party leaders are spiting venom at the NSCN is amusing, It added that the group is open to exploring every available means to find the meeting point towards Naga solution despite the deadlock-like situation in the peace talks.

“No amount of efforts will go wasted if the negotiating parties are equally determined to find the elusive solution. Mutual understanding and respect should be the driving force to take the stakeholders to the common ground,” it said.

“What is of interest to the NSCN is if the loud rumble of the state BJP and NPF leaders is done with the blessing of their High Command or the rumble is a mere reflection of an unstoppable juggernaut.

“NSCN, however, will not be cowed down into submission under the relentless campaigns to come to term with the centre when it is way too short of coming up to the common target of ‘honourable and acceptable settlement to both the parties’,” it added.