Kohima: The Naga Hoho (NH), Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) have made a “joint political statement” today saying that “the Indo-Naga political conflict cannot be solved militarily and must be solved politically, as admitted by no less than three Indian Army Generals and others”.
The four Naga bodies issued this joint statement even as world leaders arrived in Nagaland for the Business 20 (B20) Summit, the official G20 dialogue forum, to be held from April 4 to April 6.
Must read | United Naga Council calls for urgent international action in Naga political issue
The joint statement said that the Naga people are an independent indigenous Nation in assertion to which a peaceful and prior informed Plebiscite was conducted in 1951 that resulted in 99.9% in support of our independent status as declared on August 14, 1947.
The statement then said, “The Indian armed forces have been occupying our land ever since its military aggression in 1954. Our Nation is militarized and subjected to political and social suppression and most dehumanizing oppression. Left with no option but to defend our political, social, religious and economic rights, we have resorted to confront and resist the occupational military forces of India and Burma. This war has ever since continued in the midst of two ‘Ceasefire’”.
Also read | ATSUM calls off April 4 proposed 12-hour total shutdown in hill dists of Manipur
The four Naga bodies added, “We are subjected to live in constant fear and trauma, which is a never ending-nightmare”.
The joint statement of the Naga organizations also said that the “homes and granaries of the Naga people are vandalized and burned”. The statement also said that the armed forces occupy “our crop fields, schools, hospitals and make them their camps. Our Churches are desecrated and have been made concentration camps. Our women and daughters are molested and raped. Our wives and daughters are subjected to give birth in public”.
The statement then recalled that Boutros BoutrosGhali, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, while still holding the office, had officially acknowledged these violence, destruction, pain and untold sufferings of the Nagas by observing that “there is a human rights situation in Nagaland”.
Also read | Nagaland set to host final B20 session
The statement also said that the Nagas are peace-loving and most humane people with great respect for peaceful co-existence and “we courageously defend our dignity as we respect and uphold the dignity of all people exhibited by our great hospitality”.
The joint statement then added that a political dialogue following the Cease Fire Agreement, 1997, is in place and a Framework Agreement, 2015, has been signed by the representatives of the Government of India and the Naga people as the basis to work out the political agreement to resolve the armed confrontation. The statement further added that, although a decade shy of two years is nearly passed, yet the political resoluteness and honorable approach and guarantee on the part of the Government of India remains a dangerous doubt.
The statement also stated, “We implore upon the international community to humanly intervene in the violations of human rights in our Naga country, recognize our legitimate political, social, economic and religious rights as enshrined in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People”.
Also read | Ukhrul: 13 injured in bus accident after ‘brake failure’
The four Naga bodies then said that the Government of India must stop its militarization and military operations. “The Indo-Naga political conflict cannot be solved militarily and must be solved politically, as admitted by no less than three Indian Army Generals and others”.
The statement also said that the Government of India must honor its word in the Agreement and the Indo-Naga political impasse must be resolved accordingly.
“On our part, Nagas have agreed and committed to an ‘enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities’ – between Nagas and Indians,” the four Naga organizations concluded.
NNN
Also read | Befitting actions against those who discriminate against religion says N Biren Singh
About The Author
