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05/10/2008: "Spiraling violence spins out of control as Complete Disaster looms and Christianity is tested to the limits"

A Naga International Support Center, NISC, www.nagalim.nl
A human rights organization
Press Release

Amsterdam, May 10 2008

Spiraling violence spins out of control as Complete Disaster looms and Christianity is tested to the limits

In their Homeland the Naga peoples are being held captive by extreme violence.
How to get out of this vicious circle spurred on by internal differences based on betrayals in the past leading to tribalism?

Accusing, bickering, defecting fighting and lastly rampantly killing has turned the Naga Homeland into the ‘killing fields’ of the northeast of India. Starting with the infamous Shillong Accord in 1975 the first violent division among the Nagas became fact. Then, 8 years after the foundation of the Naga Socialist Council of Nagaland, NSCN, Khaplang, vice president of the NSCN, attacked the camp of the NSCN. He was convinced his fellow NSCN leaders were busy selling out to the Government of India in Delhi. The bloody attack he mounted claimed the lives of numerous NSCN members and another division came into being.
And now we have the Unification team, like the Khaplang Group also consisting of defected NSCN members. Together with Khaplang leaders they say their sole purpose is to unify the Nagas forces. Instead they have weapons and engage in abduction, torture, extortion of businessmen and they kill.

Of course the NSCN itself is not blameless. During the coarse of time it has focused too much on the continuation of the ceasefire and peace talks with the Government of India. In contrast not enough attention was paid to errant cadres who pressured Naga civilians while some were accused of enriching themselves.
Lack of discipline among NSCN soldiers means the leaders lacked grip and though no doubt the NSCN failed in that respect, it is the Government of India, GOI, which through its divide and rule policy initiated these divisions among the Nagas. The GOI took full advantage of the ceasefire, without providing direction in the peace talks, by compelling Nagas of different backgrounds and aspirations to take part in the booming flow of money and weaponry as well as other emoluments of wealth, prestige and power.

Like it or not, loss of confidence in the national aspirations of the NSCN brought forth by the frustrating lack of progress in the peace talks, for some with private aspirations has led to prosperity and power and to more divisions. As a consequence the Naga Society is breaking at its seams; tribalism has cropped up and as tension builds the results devastating. people are killed, innocent ones too, civilian law and order has evaporated. The new State Government does not do anything despite the fact that it declared to work for a respectable solution of the Indo-Naga conflict.
The gun rules and the Police idly stands by and arrests nobody and no one is held accountable for murder. As nobody is prosecuted there is no justice. Bitter fighting in the local press shows that all parties concerned are trying to justify what they are doing while blaming the others, yet no proper investigation is carried out, investigation which should unequivocally lead to those in full command. A nation once proud to be Christian has fallen flat on its face. Love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek are pillars of Christianity but in Nagaland these humanistic notions are flaunted. Dismayed about the abhorrent development NISC calls on all parties to stop this senseless killing and suggests:

- taking responsibility for the utter disunity, envy, anger, tribal feelings of superiority
- to arrest the culprits and masterminds so they can be brought to justice
- to set up an impartial investigative team which unearths the deeper seeded animosities between the parties by presenting the facts after investigations have been concluded
- to respect human rights
- to be truthful, open and accountable by revealing policies on which killing fellow Nagas are justified

Furthermore: NISC urges the Government of India to
- restore law and order by deploying law enforcing agencies and to instruct the Sate Governments to take their governance seriously
- to begin talking peace in earnest
- to abandon the divide and rule policies aimed to divide and destroy the culture and resilience of the Nagas
- to respect human rights for a democratic society is a prerogative and so to repeal the Armed Forces Special powers Act as it represses the Naga people yet provides some selected people unlimited powers
- , remove all Indian troops from Naga soil as a sign of good will
- to instead fortify the police force and install investigative teams
- to last but not least appoint impartial judges so that law and order will be restored and the Naga peoples feel that the Government of India is finally taking responsibility through its State Governments

This is a serious matter which affects the international standing and democratic recognitions of the Government of India and the Nagas.
The Naga Peoples are yearning for pace with dignity. NISC urges all parties, groups, factions and governments involved to pave the way for genuine unification and true democracy. NISC calls on all to cast aside personal tribal and intertribal grievances and calls on the Government of India to show flexibility and accommodation.

Love thy Neighbor!!

For more information visit www.nagalim.nl or get in touch with us through nisc@nagalim.nl