KOHIMA, March 20 – The Nagaland Baptist Council of Churches (NBCC) said it had tried its best to unite various Naga underground factions by meeting their respective leaders and further disclosed that moves were on to meet the President of the Naga National Council (NNC), Adino Phizo. Speaking to NEPS here on Tuesday, Rev L Kari Longchar, Director of NBCC Peace Affairs, said the NBCC had already initiated the unity process of different underground factions by inviting them on August 9 last year here at Naga Club and further added that most of the leaders of the various factions attended the move. He, however, pointed out that the NBCC did not accept the proposal put up by representatives of various factions that they (NBCC) should first frame certain modalities where all factions could come together.
“Instead we told them they should come out in free and frank manner for coming together in the greater interest of the Naga people,” the NBCC leader stated. Rev. Longchari also described NSCN (IM) leadership’s recent statement that they would meet all the parties for a lasting and permanent solution to the problem as a ‘welcome gesture.’ He said unless they meet each other, differences could never be resolved. Therefore such move by the leadership of the outfit (NSCN-IM) should be welcome by one and all.
Asked his observation on the former Chief Minister SC Jamir’s role in Naga peace process, Rev Longchari stated Jamir had played his own role with his Government towards the peace process. “At least I know that he had withdrawn the cases including arrest warrants against the leadership of the NSCN (IM), though some people said he was the stumbling block to the peace process,” he stated. “However, we cannot comment anything on it unless we witness with our own eyes but factions know the best what role did Jamir play.”
Congratulating the new DAN Government in the State, the priest, however, made it clear that the State Government could not play every role like ‘national workers’. “If they are sincere they can act as facilitator in the peace process and they should not forget whatever they had said to the people of Nagaland before elections and their work should be as per their slogans and manifestoes,” he pointed out.“On the speculation that the new DAN Ministry would be a remote-control Government of NSCN (IM), Rev Longchar, while not ruling out some individuals of the outfit (NSCN-IM) might have supported to some candidates in the recently concluded State Assembly elections, felt that there would not be such system because the leadership of the outfit (NSCN-IM) had never expressed their interest in Indian election nor Government.