DIMAPUR, JUNE 17: The underground group NSCN (IM) has once again asserted ‘mandate’ and “sole legitimacy to represent and collect tax” for various “reasons” including being “the only Naga government whereby all the Naga tribes are sufficiently a member,” “has jurisdiction control over all the Naga ancestral territory,” being the “only Naga government representing the Naga political issue having peace talks with the government of India” and being “the only Naga government that has internationalised the Naga political issue far and wide.”
The group issued a press statement in response to outrage from community organizations who criticized the armed organization over the issue of ‘mandate’ and “taxation.”
The organization made the following claims in its statement (en verbatim):
“NSCN has the sole legitimacy to represent and collect tax because of the following reasons: NSCN being the only people mandated Naga national government after the political sunset of NNC having signed the Shillong Accord in 1975 whose surrendered remnants are still visible at Chedema Peace Camp.
Though the 1951 Naga plebiscite was conducted under NNC yet the document of such historic plebiscite is the property of the Naga people. In the same way the political documents achieved by NSCN like the “Unique history and situation of the Nagas” and the “Framework Agreement” shall remain the property of Naga people.”
It is the only Naga government whereby all the Naga tribes are sufficiently a member.”
It has jurisdiction control over all the Naga ancestral territory.”
It is the only Naga government representing the Naga political issue having peace talks with the government of India.”
It is the only Naga government that has internationalised the Naga political issue far and wide.”
The NSCN (IM) also claimed that it was “a recognized entity across the nations.”
The organization also claimed that the statement that no nationalist organization had the public’s mandate was “wrong notion because on 20-21 January, 2005, the 4th Naga People’s Consultative meeting held at CHQ, Hebron mandated NSCN to represent the interest of Naga people’s political case at the negotiating table with India.”
On the issue of “tax”, it stated that “paying tax to NSCN is in itself a political demonstration of indicating that Naga people pay tax to Naga government and not the occupying force.”
