Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, July 29
The United Naga Council (UNC) has apprised the Prime Minister of India to expedite the Indo-Naga peace process with ‘political will’ to its logical conclusion for lasting peace in the region, according to a press release.
“The story of Naga political history is long enough to be ignored; the further consolidation of Naga areas through its historical process is firm enough to be shaken and its political aspiration is loud enough to be unheard. So, the Nagas cannot and shall not retrograde from our established position,” said the UNC memorandum to the Prime Minister. “The Naga problem is not only political but it is a genuine claim of our inalienable historical rights that exhibits a struggle from other political struggles and the Nagas have posited unique history of the Nagas which was recognised and accepted by India. The unique history of the Nagas is not primarily a position of attainment but it is a position in history,” it added.
According to the UNC, Indian authority particularly the military leadership has correctly perceived the historical position and political nature of the problem.
The authority has widely averred the Naga problem as a political problem and has ruled out military solution to it. In this regard former Indian Army Chief, General Thimaya is to be mentioned for having declared it in 1969, Lt. General Paramjit Singh and General J J Singh followed suit in 2008 and 2013 respectively.
The Nagas are positive about it and work for political settlement forthwith, the memorandum further said.
The UNC then stated that the Naga political movement has survived from several turbulent times and situations such as Indian political betrayal (1949), rift between Naga moderates and hard cores and imposition of AFSPA upon Naga people purposed to contain Naga militancy, the episode of Shillong Accord (1975), the split among the Naga National workers and host of other internecine internal crisis, it added yet Naga freedom struggle has endured political betrayal, factionalism, defection and showing matchless political struggle in India and other Asian countries.
The unflinching spirit is still in the Nagas to meet any ‘facer’.
“Therefore, no issues or demands raised by other community(s) living in the present state of Manipur affecting or tending to affect the Naga positions’ on land, identity, history, culture, time honoured institutions and political aspiration will be tolerated under any circumstances and urged the Government of India to expedite the Indo-Naga peace process with political will to its logical conclusion for lasting peace in the region”, it stated.
“The Naga nation was deeply rooted upon ethno-cultural principle posing itself as unshakable under any circumstances so far. Even defectors, factionists, the bigoted within Naga community think and work as Nagas whenever and whatever they are,” it further added. “Our land is arbitrarily divided by the colonialists without prior informed knowledge and consent of the Nagas.
The Nagas have every right for a common homeland,” the UNC memorandum to the Prime Minister asserted.
