ASTC and AYOC have expressed support for Dr. SC Jamir, saying political differences
DIMAPUR — The Ao Senso Telongjem Chümoukedima (ASTC) and Ao Youth Organisation Chümoukedima (AYOC) have expressed support for veteran Naga political leader and former Chief Minister and Governor Dr. SC Jamir, rejecting recent remarks questioning his Naga identity, credibility and right to speak on the Naga political issue.
In a joint press release, the two organisations said Jamir was “a son of the Naga soil” who had served the people of Nagaland and the nation for decades in various public and constitutional capacities.
They said his long public service and political experience gave him the legitimate right to express his views on the Naga political issue and the future of the Naga people.
No organisation, political group or individual, they asserted, had the exclusive authority to determine who among the Nagas had the right to speak on the issue.
The organisations maintained that disagreement with Jamir’s views was legitimate and that his historical interpretations and political positions could be debated, challenged or rejected through facts, evidence and reasoned arguments.
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However, they said political disagreement should not be used to question his Naga identity or deny him the right to express his views.
“The Naga political issue belongs to the Naga people as a whole,” the organisations said, adding that it was not the exclusive property of any one organisation, group, leader or generation.
They further stated that every Naga had the democratic right and responsibility to participate in discussions concerning the political future of the people.
The organisations said the focus should remain on finding a peaceful, honourable and lasting political solution while safeguarding the rights, identity and future of the Naga people.
They reiterated their support and solidarity with Dr Jamir, stating that his voice, like that of every Naga, should not be silenced or invalidated merely because his political position differed from that of others.