Patriotism is to love people, not ideology, NSCN (K) told

GBs question armed group on ‘nationalism’   EMN Dimapur, January 6 [dropcap]C[/dropcap]ommunity leaders in Dimapur continue to come out strongly against the diktats and threats of the armed Naga undergrounds with the iteration that the people may be ‘fooled once, but not always.’ The Gaonbura Union of Dimapur issued a strong statement on Tuesday reminding the armed underground NSCN (K) that the essence of nationalism and patriotism was love for the people and land, and not to feed the vested self-interested of certain ideologies. ‘Every citizen is a member of the ACAUT,’ the community leaders reminded. Earlier, the Khaplang-led NSCN had issued threats against the ACAUT, a popular anti-corruption and anti-extortion movement of the people of the state.The GBs have questioned the NSCN (K) whether or not it was the Naga undergrounds themselves are truly representing the aspirations of the Naga people. Nagas will always have a heart for a Naga political solution but people’s movement such as the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) will always have the people’s support because they are against intimidation, coercion and extortion whether by state or non-state actors, the community leaders made clear in their statement to the armed groups. On Tuesday, the Dimapur GBs expressed resentment at the threat issued by the NSCN (K) against the leaders of the movement. “ACAUT is a movement of Naga people which is against any form of anti-social elements by means of intimidation, coercion and unabated taxation whether it be state government or underground and not against any NPGs,’ the GBs stated in their statement. “Every citizen is an ACAUT member and stand for the movement since Nagas had enough of the turmoil in our present society. Nagas will always have the heart of nationalism and profound emotion for Naga political solution,” the GBs stated. However, the union put the question back the underground organization: “However the question needed to have second thought is whether the national workers are truly for the Naga people? If so, why is it against the aspiration of the Naga people! Time and again, Nagas have demonstrated loud and clear that what t wanted,” the statement stated. In that regard, the GBs stated, the NSCN (K) should instead take punitive measures as a responsible organization against the black sheep in their family, rather tha threatening the ACAUT. “Time has changed as there is a saying, ‘You can fool some people sometime, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. That phrase should be a reminder that patriotism is to work for the cause and wish of the people and not self-interest ideology. No amount of justification can make wrong as right, thereby making itself a mockery which can no longer fool the Naga people,” the GBs stated in their press release.