Dimapur, Feb. 6 (EMN): Zeliangrong civil society has warned its members from attending the ‘consultations’ stated to have been called by the armed group NSCN (IM). A statement on Wednesday from ‘Zeliangrong civil organisations’—Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth Front, and Zeliangrong Students’ Union—declared that the Zeliangrong people ‘cannot be the victims in the name of the Naga political issue anymore.’
‘The Zeliangrong people will not attend the consultative meeting of Mr. Th. Muivah, general secretary of the NSCN (IM) group who have come from Delhi to conduct a public consultative meeting at Hebron camp within few days time,’ the statement read.
‘It is to reiterate the decision of the Zeliangrong civil organizations, which was adopted earlier that the Zeliangrong people will not attend any consultative meeting or meet any members of the NSCN (IM) still stands effective. Therefore, whoever attends the consultative meeting of NSCN (IM) or meets any members of the NSCN (IM) faction shall be considered as purely his or her own interest that does not carry the mandate neither represent the interest nor authorized to act on behalf of the Zeliangrong people who are living in the states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.’
The statement referred to resolutions during consultative meetings that were held in different places in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in 2018 following the NSCN (IM) “interference and arbitrary decision taken on the internal matter of Zeliangrong family by issuing so called orders recognizing the Zeliangrong people as separate and distinct tribe without any basis of history.”
The statement read: The NSCN’s (IM) claim of negotiating with the government of India based on the uniqueness of Naga history is a complete farce when the NSCN (IM) out of jealousy had issued baseless orders just to divide the Zeliangrong people who are the founders of the Naga political movement under the leadership of ‘Jadonang,’ who was hanged by the British colonial rulers to suppress the Naga raj movement.’
The Zeliangrong people have “sacrificed more than enough, suffered and rendered maximum service without any reservation for the cause of the Naga political movement since the time of Jadonang who was the founder of the Naga raj movement and till today as such the entire Naga people and various political groups (other than NSCN (IM) faction) knowing well of the contribution of the Zeliangrong people never interfered neither issued arbitrary order nor gave direction against the interest of the Zeliangrong people.”
Further, the press release stated that the Zeliangrong people were well aware of the ongoing Naga political movement under the banner of different Naga political groups. ‘Most of the Naga political groups tried to strengthen the unity of Naga people as a whole in order to achieve the common aspiration of the Naga people unlike the NSCN (IM) who had divided many Naga tribes into small groups based on unfounded reasons,’ the press release.
‘Therefore, the Zeliangrong civil organizations (Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth Front and Zeliangrong Student’s Union) caution every responsible Zeliangrong to refrain from attending the consultative meeting of NSCN (IM) group for the Zeliangrong people cannot be the victims in the name of the Naga political issue anymore,’ the press release added.
