ITANAGAR, 15 Sep: The NSCN-GPRN has strongly condemned the ‘illegal’ and ‘imprudent’ move by the Government of India (GoI) to erase the word ‘Naga’ in the Naga areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
In a press statement, the NSCN-GPRN said that “the GoI, in connivance with Arunachal government and some ‘corrupt’ Naga leaders, has worked out to remove ‘any Naga tribe’ and recognized Tangsa, Tutsa, Nocte and Wancho as separate identity under its Constitution.”
“This is a blatant insult to the on-going Naga struggle and clearly indicates that India has willfully undermined and ignored the legitimate right, identity and history of the Naga people,” the statement said.
“For thousands of years, Nagas proudly and peacefully inhabited their present land in the so-called states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Assam and Eastern (Myanmar). They have never known foreign power till the British set foot on their land in the early 1830s and fought tooth and nails to defend every inch of their country. After the British left in 1947 both India and Burma applied the same colonial policies and forcibly enter and occupied the Naga country which led to an armed confrontation till today,” it said.
The statement said: “India is constantly playing deceptive means and political gimmicks to disintegrate Nagas in the name of development to suit her purposes. This smear campaign to divert the world’s attention from the core Naga issue will be counterproductive.”
“India’s continual refusal to honour and recognise the legitimate Naga cause is a flagrant violations of UN Security Council resolutions and also questions her solemn commitment to International laws,” it said, adding that “The word ‘Naga’ is what literally binds Nagas together as one people and we will never give up for anything in the world.”
Stating that the NSCN/GPRN will continue to reject and fight “all of her discriminatory laws in our country,” they further said that “every Naga tribe has a special responsibility to come together and denounce such a divisive move which is a grave danger to our on-going struggle.”
“All those Naga MLAs and leaders who supported the illegal bill will be held accountable and will be leveled as anti-Naga,” the statement added.
