Dimapur, Feb. 13: The NSCN (I-M) today virtually sealed the fate of the shaky reconciliation process, mocking the Naga National Council?s Wokha meet slated for next Wednesday as ?ridiculous?. Rubbing salt into the wound, it claimed that ?most of the genuine NNC leaders? have already defected to it as early back as in 2001.
In a hard-sitting statement today, the NSCN (I-M) said most of the current NNC top brass in the Wokha region are ?self-styled ridiculous leaders? moonlighting in the payroll of the state government as ?work-charge labourers, dak runners and peons?.
The NSCN (I-M) statement followed a lot of heartburn in the past few days that has all but ended any hopes of the warring Naga groups coming together to carry forward the peace process.
?The genuine NNC members from Lotha region had formally merged with the NSCN en bloc in 2001. Many of them had been given specific assignments in the NSCN set-up and more than 300 of them had become members of NSCN,? the outfit said in the statement, which was signed by three leaders.
The NSCN (I-M) named a self-styled ?Brigadier General? of the NNC, claiming he is working under the state government as a daily labourer, and also said a ?Brigadier? of the same organisation was a dak runner.
The outfit pointed out that one of the NNC leaders involved in the proposed meet, M. Chumbemo Murry, ?had led a group surrender in 1975 during which he had issued a formal statement to the effect that the Naga struggle for independence is wrong.? He has obtained and enjoyed several rehabilitation packages from the Centre, it said.
?Can such persons claim to be Lotha leaders? Can such persons claim to be freedom fighters?? the statement iterated, asking the NNC to desist from tarnishing ?the Naga national image?.
The proposed meeting by the NNC is being seen as an attempt by the outfit ? founded by the father of the Naga movement A.Z. Phizo ? to find its feet now since it was sidelined for years after the signing of the Shillong Accord in 1975. Observers here are not certain as to the level of response the NNC meet would draw.
The NNC has considerable influence in Phek district and, to some extent, in pockets of Tuensang, Mokokchung and Wokha. It might attract a larger number of participants from these districts.
?The NNC?s very agenda is peace and unity and with this objective in mind, the NNC has been working very hard for the past many years to bring real peace and unity in the homeland,? the outfit has said.
The NNC has also stressed the urgency of reconciliation, saying the need of the hour among the Nagas is reconciliation ?and without this very objective in the homeland, there is no future at all for the Nagas?.
The Naga reconciliation process has already suffered a major setback, with the Khaplang faction taking strong exception to a letter purportedly sent by the rival Isak-Muivah group, asking it to ?repent for its past mistakes?. The letter was delivered to the NSCN (K) leadership by members of non-government organisations which was visiting its council headquarters in Myanmar.
The letter was allegedly sent from Bangkok and bore the signature of the NSCN (I-M)?s general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah.
Yesterday the Konyak Union ? which is brokering a peace deal between the two factions along with the Sumi Hoho ? served an ultimatum to the NSCN (I-M), asking its activists to leave the Tizit area before Sunday. Tizit area in Mon district became a stronghold of the NSCN (I-M) with the Khaplang group suffering heavy casualties last year.
The Konyak Union is the apex body of the Konyak tribe, which is native to Mon district. The Sumi Hoho is the apex body of the Sema tribe, native to Zunheboto district.
The ultimatum was served after a meeting in Mon, sources said, adding that the Konyak Union ?expressed displeasure over the assault of civilians by NSCN (I-M) activists?.