Dimapur, Oct. 17 (EMN): People’s Army of Nagaland (PAN) of the NSCN has stressed on the imperative for all Nagas to profoundly introspect and recollect their own political history, which heeded to, could lead to make better choices of contemporary realities at this crucial juncture of Naga polity.
A NSCN statement issued by PAN Lt. Gen. Niki Sumi recounted the historical fact how the Nagas, in unison, went to foreign lands to help in the war efforts during the World War-I which culminated in the formation of Naga Club and the subsequent submission of political memorandum to the Simon Commission as a single unified Naga Nation.
He also recalled how the Nagas, as a unified nation, stood up to the tyranny of Nazis along with allied forces during the World War-II which consequently led to the formation of NNC, a unified Naga political group. He added that with God’s endowment of wisdom and foresight, the Nagas declared its independence, a day before Indian independence.
He, however, lamented with the emergence of a coerced Indian union, “neo colonialism reared its ugly perfected archaic policy of divide and rule and thus the Indian government sowed seeds of division among the Nagas– the very imperial British policy they so detested and vehemently protested against”.
Sumi stated that the Indian government, in numerous instances at the most crucial moment of political talks, had openly espoused their inklings and insidious sincerity of playing one tribe against the other. He added that the divisive ploy of propping up one tribe against the rest have always been a consistent Indian policy. He has cited instances of the ‘16-Point Agreement,’ “6th round talks,” and “Shillong Accord” which were signed under the leadership of various Naga tribes.
He bemoaned that the Nagas have yet again succumbed to Indian government’s ‘divide and rule policy’ and dancing to their tune by sidelining the NSCN (IM)’s demand for Yehzabo (constitution) and flag, which according to him is “more of worth than the servile acceptance of the other Naga political groups’ demand of a piecemeal monetary solution to a political issue”.
He also stated that the Nagas have consciously or unconsciously encouraged tribalism among ourselves.
“It’s a factual irony that despite our knowledge about all the facts of history yet we are so obstinate and complacent that we are trying to repeat the ills of our own history rather than discernably learning from our own history and progressing towards our sacred goal of a sovereign Nagaland for Christ,” Sumi stated.
He has, therefore, stated that it high time for all Nagas to carefully tread those tumultuous political times and do right by the sovereign political rights of all Naga inhabited areas.
