‘Nothing less than sovereignty’
Narain B Sagar | EMN
KOHIMA, MAY 5: NSCN/GPRN Ato Kilonser Th. Muivah today said the ‘unique history of Nagas is the foundation and basis of the ongoing peace talks and not the Constitution of India’ and asserted that Nagas will be never accept anything less then sovereignty.
Addressing a mammoth gathering during a public reception held in his honour at Viswema village, some 22 km away from Kohima town on Wednesday, Muivah said Nagas did not become an entity of the Indian Union by consent as Nagalim is a God gifted land to the Nagas. He, therefore, said the position or stand of the Nagas is clear and that there is no confusion and there is no need to be afraid of India.
He, however, said the problem now is within the Nagas for unity, adding that our unity should also be based on Naga history. Nagas must learn how to correct ourselves so that God does no forsake us, he stated. “The sin of NSCN is in between Nagas and solution,” he lamented and warned that ‘until and unless Nagas are in a position to decide our future we will be in a danger of losing our rights’.
Muivah went on to state that NSCN will never surrender before India, but also hinted that solution may not be possible at one go and that it may take some more time. But he strongly asserted that ‘ours is our’ and there can be no compromise.
He also maintained that the talks will continue at the highest level of the Indian Government as the talks are being held between two different entities and nations.
The NSCN-IM leader was all praise about the philosophies of the founder leader of the Naga National movement AZ Phizo under whom the Naga National Council was started saying that he draws inspiration from NNC as they had taken the right decision at the right time for Nagas to be free. He said it was because of their leadership that the Naga history is still alive.
“Nagas are saved politically because of them,” he stated, adding that if there was no NNC Nagas could have lost our history and we could have been a perished nation. He urged upon Nagas to uphold the commitment of NNC under the leadership of Phizo as they had rightly declared Nagaland for Christ.
Muivah further acknowledged the role played by the civil societies like the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers’ Association, Naga Students’ Federation, NPMHR, Angami Public Organisation, Angami Youth Organisation, Southern Angami Public Organisation, Naga Council Dimapur and Naga Women Hoho Dimapur for their active support and cooperation.
The programme concluded with a mass prayer seeking God’s blessing upon the Naga leader and the Naga political movement.
Earlier in the day, coming from Camp Hebron, Dimapur, en-route to his native village in Manipur, Muivah was received by various tribal and student organisations near By-Pass point and escorted to Viswema where the public reception was held under the aegis of Southern Angami Public Organisation at Panchayat Hall.
He was accompanied by his wife, Emissary to the Collective Leadership VS Atem and various NSCN-IM officials.
Besides the Southern Angami villagers, representatives from Mao Union, Kohima, and Mao Naga Women Welfare Association also attended the reception in full strength.
