‘All speculations’: NSCN (IM) on reports of Konyak joining ranks

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Aug. 20: The report that Khango Konyak, former chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), may join another armed Naga group after he was replaced with Yung Aung — nephew of the late SS Khaplang — last week may have turned many heads but it is said to be “unconfirmed” according to sources.
According to The Economic Times report dated Aug. 19, a senior NSCN-IM leader had said that Khango Konyak would join the NSCN-IM along with his loyalists.
However, reliable sources told Eastern Mirror that the report is nothing but speculation, as nothing has been confirmed.
“The recent local media reports of Konyak joining the NSCN-IM will create false public opinion and cause confusion before anything is confirmed,” said one of the sources contacted by Eastern Mirror.
While it has been confirmed that Konyak, who became the chairman of NSCN-K after the death of SS Khaplang last year, has been replaced with Aung as the head of the outfit, the report that he was given a safe passage to India by the organisation and helped by the NSCN-IM following a coup is also yet to be confirmed.
The NSCN-K had earlier confirmed that Aung was elected as the new acting chairman of the organisation by a majority vote on Aug. 17 but didn’t furnish any detail, including the fate of its former chairman.
However, according to sources in the government intelligence community, the Naga groups have been advised not to induct them as it could cause ‘problems between the government of India’s military and the Naga groups.’ Especially, providing shelter to those declared ‘wanted’ by the Indian security and intelligence agencies might create problems, it was suggested.
However, a clear picture of the whole episode will come out only when Konyak make a public statement on what actually transpired into his ousted as the head of the outfit he served for over 50 years.