Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Sep. 28: In an indication of growing chasm between Nagas of India and Myanmar in the NSCN (K) organisation, one group today claimed that ‘Lt. Gen. (Retd.)’ Khango Konyak remains its legitimate chairman and president.
A statement from Isak Sumi, the MIP kilonser of the NSCN (K), on Friday asserted that Konyak was ‘popularly elected by a unanimous 100% vote of the entire party workers and council members in June 2017.’
Sumi, said a ‘failed coup’ was attempted by a ‘handful of kilonsers, deputy kilonsers and middle-ranking Naga army officers all belonging exclusively to Pangmi tribe at the instigation of Meitei underground groups and ULFA.’
Stating that the impeachment of a president can be initiated and passed only by two-third majority of the central council, Isak Sumi said the impeachment of Konyak was imposed arbitrarily ‘without acquiring even a quarter of the quorum.’ He termed the impeachment ‘unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid.’
It stands nullified as not a single NSCN leader ‘from India occupied Nagaland were consulted or involved in the illegal process,’ he said.
Terming the Pangmi group as ‘renegades,’ Sumi accused the former of forcibly attempting to usurp power in order to enter the Nation-wide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and become full-fledged Myanmar citizens. He alleged that the group met the Junta leaders in Nyapidaw and plotted to remove Khango Konyak, a staunch opponent of NCA and Panglong Conference, so that they could conveniently enter into NCA.
He alleged that leaders of the ‘splinter Pangmi sect’ would be endowed with huge monetary bonus and other lucrative offers in the form of gold and jade mining licenses and permanent citizenship privileges anywhere in Myanmar. He added that they would also be entitled to contest in Myanmar Union election by renouncing the Nagas historical sovereign rights.
Sumi also hit out at ‘Meitei propaganda machinery, who in their haste exaggerated the profile of Yonghong as a non-Christian but a devout Hindu and Buddhist at the same time as a graduate and a martial art expert.’ On the contrary, Sumi responded that Yonghong is an ‘under-matric’ nurtured and brought up by Meiteis from class 1 to calss 9 at Imphal and ‘fully indoctrinated by Meitei ideologies and always opposed to Naga integration and peace efforts with India.’
He also alleged that ‘Pangmi sect’ connived with the Myanmar army and ‘mounted full-scale military operation to assassinate Khango Konyak.’ Sumi also stated that almost all the high-ranking officers and hundreds of Naga army cadres from the GHQ, various brigades and battalions including kilonsers and top civil workers especially from west Nagaland have reaffirmed their loyalty to Khango's leadership.
Backed by ‘more than 500 (members) and still many more readying to join hands,’ Sumi stated that NSCN/GPRN led by Khango Konyak would continue to defend the rights and identity of the Nagas. He added that the group is also seriously considering the Naga people's genuine appeal for peace and political dialogue with the government of India. He appealed to the Naga people to extend cooperation and prayers.
He further appealed to all the right thinking Naga citizens to immediately cease wasting resources and energy on the ‘renegade group’.
