Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 28 Sep: The Save Arunachal, Save Indigenous (SASI) organization has asked the state government to explain its stand on the summon letters served to the leaders of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL) districts by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM).
This comes after letters from the NSCN (IM) surfaced on social media, summoning the village chiefs, gaon burahs, presidents and panchayat members of the Nocte, Wancho and Tangsa tribes of TCL districts for a meeting slated to be held in Dimapur in Nagaland from 29 to 30 September.
“Our Tangsa, Nocte, Wancho brothers have been dictated to come for the meeting, but the state government has not explained whether they should go or not,” said SASI vice chairman Romjir Rakshap.
Saying that the state government should not succumb to the diktats of antisocial elements, Rakshap requested Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein to object to the claims of the NSCN(IM) and “make it clear that the TCL area belongs to Arunachal Pradesh and all the Tangsa, Noctes and Wanchos are very much Arunachalees.”
SASI chairman Debia Muj questioned the NSCN (IM) over its connection with Arunachal Pradesh and asked the insurgent group not to deviate from its agenda.
“You are already in talks with the government of India and
you should continue that. Why disturb the people of Arunachal? I want to make it clear that the Nocte, Tagsa, Wanchos are not from Nagaland and are not Nagas. Your state was formed before us in 1963. Ours was formed in 1987. If you considered them your people then why didn’t you take them? You didn’t consider them your own, that’s why they are with us. Arunachal has 26 major tribes, in which Nocte, Tangsa, Wanchos are also included. Don’t try to destabilize the stability we have. Fight for your freedom, your sovereignty. Don’t deviate from your agenda,” he said.
Asserting that the TCL region is part of Arunachal Pradesh and “not an inch of land will be spared,” Muj asked: “Why should our people go to attend the meeting?”
On the NSCM (IM)’s letter to the TCL leaders to withdraw support from the CM and the DCM, Muj said, “The people elect the leaders. The people will decide. How can someone from outside dictate us to support or not support the leaders. That is our internal matter. Why should we be dictated on it?”
The organization asked the state government not to take the matter lightly and clear its stand on the matter as well as on the law and order situation in the TCL region.
The summoning of the local leaders of the three tribes (whom the NSCN refers to as Nagas) comes in the wake of the NSCN (IM)’s open dictation to the legislators of the TCL districts, including three cabinet ministers, to withdraw their support from CM Pema Khandu and DCM Chowna Mein’s government.
The Naga insurgent group is agitated over the deletion of the words ‘Any other Naga tribe’ from the constitutional list of scheduled tribes, which was amended in August to use the indigenous tribe names of Monpa, Sajolang, Sartang, Tai Khamti, Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi), Taraon (Digaru Mishmi), Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa and Wancho.
