Dimapur, March 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has denounced the Naga People’s Front (NPF) for ‘talking about integration’ when at home the regional party has washed its hands off the demand for a separate state by an organization from the state’s eastern areas.
“The NPF has no moral right to talk about integration. Their concept of integration is totally untenable given the fact that it talks of integration on one side while on the other side it doesn’t show an iota of remorse even the Nagas of Nagaland are on the brink of disintegration following the demand of ENPO for a separate frontier Nagaland state,” the NPCC said in a statement today.
According to the Congress, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF President Dr. Shurhozelie had said “the demand of ENPO is not within the power of the State. They said it is within the power of Delhi” conveying a ‘no objection’.
“The ENPO had cited injustices meted out to its people and region as the bone of contention for demanding separate state. As leaders of the government of the day, instead of addressing the issues of contention they had heaped further insult to the eastern Nagas by saying ‘Let the government of India decide’.”
Integration and disintegration cannot go hand in hand, the NPCC stated. “If integration with Nagas of outside Nagaland is desired, the integrity of Nagaland state needs to be protected and strengthened first by exploring all opportunities to the issues of contention.”
The opposition said that the callous attitude of the NPF and its leaders are anti-Nagas of Nagaland actually. “Integration or no integration, Nagas will be Nagas at all times wherever they may be. Our blood relationship cannot be changed wherever we are and whatever may come and go.”
The opposition has accused the NPF of exploiting Nagas outside Nagaland “to hate the Congress men and women of Nagaland for electoral mileage.” They are only dividing the Nagas on narrow political party lines and should stop shedding crocodile tears on integration because their double-standard and myopic policy on integration will be self-destructive for Nagas in the long run, the NPCC stated.
The NPCC referred to the ‘FNR consultative meeting’ on February 29 where GPRN/NSCN Chairman ‘Gen’ Khole appreciated Th. Muivah, General Secretary of the NSCN (IM) “for spelling out the truth at Niathu Resort Dimapur meeting that, ‘Independence in the international context and integration of Naga areas in India and Myanmar are not possible.’
“He further went on to state that Nagas must accept the reality. The honest admission cleared the air that political solution is going to be within the present frame of political boundaries.
This is the reality of integration at the present juncture,” the Congress said. The Congress appreciates Khole and Kitovi for their “honesty and courage and for being transparent to the people.”
“We believe that only truth will set us free and we hope that the truth will lead us to find peaceful solution.”
This being the ground reality, the NPCC stated to the NPF, that nobody should take them seriously “even if they shout at the top of their voice on integration issue. In fact, their journey of integration has not begun but come to a dead end.”
