Kohima, November 16 (MExN): The Naga Hoho on Tuesday stated that it would be ‘illogical’ for Naga organisations to “denounce each other based on vested and regional interest leaving aside the larger Naga issues” as there is not a single absolute mandated Naga organisation at the moment.
In a press release, Naga Hoho President HK Zhimomi and General Secretary K Elu Ndang stated that the Hoho was formed during the darkest period of Naga history when Naga elders and intellectuals realised the need for a collective effort to usher in peace and a voice for unified Naga Homeland without borders. “Till today, the Naga Hoho stands firmly on the foundation of Nagas political and historical rights for self-determination and recognition of Naga homeland,” it maintained.
Stating that the Naga Hoho is mandated to pursue and mediate for unity among various diametrical Naga political groups and early Indo-Naga political settlement, the release stated that “any political solutions sans inclusion of Naga ancestral land and its people are not acceptable to the Nagas.” This, it said, has been endorsed by the Naga leaders from different tribes before the emergence of new organisations in recent times.
Lamenting that there are groups of people who have been continuously against the Hoho, it reminded that “the Nagas struggle for self-determination for more than 70 years is for a common homeland under one administration and not based on the artificial boundaries demarcated by British-India and Burma.” Failure to bring political settlement through various agreement/accord in the past and signing of another ceasefire agreement in 1997 speaks volumes towards searching for settlement above 16 Point Agreement, it said.
Stating that various agencies will continue to divide the Naga society unless the Naga people stand on the truth of their history, the release stated that it would be a disaster if the present generation forfeit the struggle of Naga patriots “for just mere packages and commitments by the Government of India.”
“The Naga people must play the role of facilitator and strengthen the negotiators rather than destroying the hard earned peace process,” it said, while lamenting that many Naga “pseudo intellectuals and leaders of today” are trying to destabilise the peace process without understanding the intrinsic value and the dynamics of political negotiations.
Maintaining that the Naga Hoho White Paper on Naga Integration which was published in 2002 stands as the testimony of who Nagas were, is, and will be, it said the paper was widely accepted by every Naga tribes.
Further, the release stated that there are sections of people who believe that the Indo-Naga political negotiation has concluded on October 31, 2019 and “the ownership of land is above Naga political problem which is ridiculous.” Naga sovereignty was the only problem ever since the beginning of Naga political movement and the physical integration of Naga homeland has been the core issues post 16 Point Agreement, it added. Stating that both the GoI and Naga political negotiators have been trying to find out the best option by understanding each other’s difficulties, it said some sections of its own people were simply following the stand of GoI“which lacks pragmatic solution.”
It also referred Dr S C Jamir’s recent statement in the media and clarified that the Prime Minister of India “never in his speech on August 3, 2015 mentioned or welcomed the decision of ‘the underground to join the mainstream of Indian polity.’” It is also never a reason why the Government of India and Prime Minister described the Framework Agreement as “historic,” it added.
