Janjati Faith and Cultural Protection Forum (JFCPF), a body of various janjati communities of north-eastern states, has demanded the President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to outrightly reject the secessionist demand of greater Nagaland by underground Naga leaders. In a memorandum, the Forum demanded that the activities of signatories of ceasefire agreement violating ceasefire ground rules should be curbed with heavy hands and the nationalistic forces and patriotic members of the society should be patronised.
The memorandum said that the issuing of ?entry cards?, imposition of illegal taxes on all the essential commodities and extortion by National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) (IM) and other offshoot outfits, other underground organisations and NGOs should be stopped immediately. The memorandum said the ceasefire monitoring committee should be expanded and Naga leaders from civil societies, whose integrity is beyond doubt, should be included. The veteran Naga leaders of nationalistic character from political circles and from common mass should also be taken into confidence before arriving at the final decision.
?It is apprehended that any slackness and unjustified decisions of Government of India dishonouring country'sConstitution may lead to serious repercussions at national level. We therefore, request your kind authority to do the needful without compromising with nation'sinterest,? said Shri M.K. Borah, president, Shri K.T. Rukbo, vice president and Shri M. Choaba Singh, general secretary who singed the memorandum.
The dialogue between Naga insurgent leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah of NSCN (IM) and Government of India has taken place for many times since 1997 at Prime Ministerial level. The Government of India is represented by a Group of Ministers headed by Union Minister Oscar Fernades and NSCN (IM) is represented by Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu. Some of the dialogues have taken place in foreign countries viz. Davos, Arsterdam (Netherlands) and Bankok (Thailand). Since the Operation of Cease-fire declared on August 1, 1997, the NSCN (IM) leaders landed in India and also visited Nagaland to meet their cadres. But due to little response from Naga people and tough opposition from veteran Naga leaders they have got disheartened and worried.
According to the memorandum, the NSCN (IM) has submitted a thirty points Charter of Demands to the Government of India. It includes greater Nagaland by integrating contiguous Naga inhabited areas with Nagaland from Manipur, Asom, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. Separate Naga country (Nagalim) with separate international boundary between India and Naga nation, well established independent Naga army with a liberty to join enemy forces against India at the time of war, Naga currency with picture of Phizo inscribed on coins and printed at currency notes, Naga national flag, Naga national anthem and re-written history books portraying Phizo as the father of the nation at par with Mahatma Gandhi of India and Md. Ali Jinnah of Pakistan and Muivah, Isak Chishi Swu and V.S. Atem, etc. as Naga national heroes and leaders like S.C. Jamir, Dr Hokishe Sema and other nationalist Naga leaders as traitors against Naga nation. The demands also include that no tax can be levied by Government of India in Nagaland but Delhi should bear all expenditure to build up Naga country and Nagaland will have absolute authority on executive set-up, civil services, land ownership, entry restrictions and natural resources.
The Forum fears that the Government of India may accept the NSCN (IM)'seconomic demands. Delhi'sstand on Muivah'sdemands of greater Nagaland is not very clear. ?However, we appreciate the government for not accepting Muivah'ssuch demands which challenge the sovereignty of the country and also for not succumbing to the pressure unduly created by anti-national forces working on the behest of enemy countries,? the memorandum said.
The memorandum further said that the NSCN (IM) does not represent all Nagas. There are 25 Naga communities living in Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Asom. And Tangkhul is one of them who are found in Ukhrul district of Manipur. Muivah belongs to this community and NSCN (IM) cadres are dominated by this community. Muivah and his Tangkhul cohorts use NSCN (IM) to fulfill their political dream. This is the reason that this NSCN (IM) has killed dozens of non-Tangkhul Naga leaders like Chalie Kevichusa, Dr Imkangliba, Mezolie Angami and many more who did not support the unrealistic demands of Muivah. General Naga public including all Naga communities of all the concerned states are against integration and liberation movement. They believe that Nagaland with nil state revenue cannot survive as an independent country between giant nations-India and China.
Since the proposed map of greater Nagaland includes the whole Manipur, the Manipur assembly has resolved several times that not even an inch of Manipur'sland would be seceded for creation of greater Nagaland. Similar resolutions have also been adopted in assemblies of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. People of all the three affected states have also been agitating under the aegis of different social organisations against the secession of their lands.
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