Sothing Shimray & Addie Chiphang
August 13
Ukhrul (MExN): The 12th consultation meeting of Tangkhul leaders of the NSCN-IM and the Tangkhul public was held over a two-day period dating August 12 and 13 at Ukhrul town’s jam-packed Union Baptist Church hall. The NSCN heads who attended the meet included RH Raising, Kilo Kilonser (Home Minister), V. Horam (Deputy Kilonser) Hanshi (Commander-in-Chief, Naga Army), Livingstone (Brigadier, Naga Army) besides several other ranks & files.
Participants of Ukhrul district comprised of village authorities, Government Officers, Public leaders, civil societies, NGOs and Church leaders. Raising, in his speech, informed that there were 42 recognized Naga tribes and 25 Naga regions presently. He further added that the Nagas had been a community oriented people much before the birth of Karl Marx and the theme of Socialism had not been borrowed from him. He said that the NSCN was solely a people-based government and as such made collective political decisions on any matter inside the Morung or Tatar Hoho (Assembly).
Dr. M.Horam, former Minister, Government of Manipur presented a paper based on the “Uniqueness of Naga History” under the sub-title, “The Nagas’ future and the role of the Tangkhuls” Brigadier Livingstone read out the papers prepared by Convenor of the Steering Committee, VS Atem while the C-in-C of the NSCN-IM army gave a brief history of the Naga struggle.
