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02/23/2009: "Khaplang greets Naga peace convention (NPN):"

Khaplang greets Naga peace convention (NPN):

Dimapur NSCN-K chairman SS Khaplang has appealed to all the Nagas to work as servants of the Naga nation and not as soldiers ready to kill.
In his greetings to Naga peace convention held in Kohima from February 21 to 22, Khaplang asserted that there could be no freedom in an intolerant and divided society and no nation could survive by killing its youths. He stressed that it was time to stitch the severed state of our nation.
“I have emotional scars, I have physical scars, I have hurt and I have been hurt beyond tolerance but to dwell on the bitter past only prolongs my bitterness against my fellow brothers. This I have decided to do away with,” he said in his greetings to the convention.
The NSCN-K chief while expressing his pleasure over the attempt by the Naga brothers and sisters from all over Naga homeland to find a consensus towards achieving our rightful goal as a people and nation at the convention lauded all frontal organizations including the FNR, Naga Hoho and its constituent units, ENPO and its constituent units, Naga Christian Forum, DBs & GBs Forum, NSF, NPMHR, NMA, various Naga NGOs and civil societies, Quakers group, Naga well wishers from India and abroad.
“Your solidarity towards the Naga people is deeply cherished. I thank our Almighty God for giving us the courage to come together in this manner,” he stated.
Khaplang hoped that in our long political struggle towards finding our rightful place the next few days that we behold may perhaps be some of the most defining ones in our pursuit for oneness of body and spirit through reconciliation.
He also urged the Nagas to rise to the occasion and seek a better destiny for the Nagas in its non-violent form.
“I extend my prayer that God will work His miracles on the Nagas,” he hoped.
Stating that he had fought and struggled with the enemies of the Nagas for a major part of his life, Kahplang regretted that killing among the Naga brothers was most painful and which also given our enemies the comfort and space to sow seeds of distrust amongst us.
He observed that the commonness of our struggle had suffered because of our domineering attitudes.
“Amidst the tall claims of my fellow Naga brothers on the Indo-Naga political issue, evidently, the Government of India has not raised its eyebrows in the last ten years,” Khaplang said and reminded all Nagas that any political settlement with the Government of India is subject to which path we Nagas decide to walk today.
“A solution without consensus of all Nagas is a mere wish. What Nagas witness today is a further fragmentation of our society owing to inflexibility and rigidity of our earthly wisdom,” he said.
The NSCN-K chief said he believed that revolution begins from the minds of the people and not from the barrel of guns and that fear is a mere tool to delay the inevitable.
The will of the people is supreme, he explained and observed that a leader who failed to heed the voice of the people becomes a people’s tyrant.
“Such politics become impractical. Leaders opposing the cry of the people become recluses in their own rigid world. Let us not become victims of impractical philosophy or principles.”
“Future Naga generations await our pragmatic choice today,” Khalang added.
Peace meet vows for unity Correspondent, (NPN):
Kohima The statement of commitment being dedicated at Naga peace convention in Kohima on Sunday. (NP)
Reconciliation must take place at highest level
The two-day Naga Convention for Peace and Reconciliation resolved that the Naga reconciliation must take place at the highest level of all Naga political groups and that any political process that sought to realise and exercise Naga rights must be inclusive in nature.
The convention held under the theme “Let My People Go” and organized by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) concluded at Kohima local ground today.
The resolutions adopted in the form of a four-point “statement of commitment” were endorsed by all the representatives of all the Naga national political groups (factions), tribal Hohos, NGOs, church leaders and other organizations present in the convention.
“Nagas yearned to see their people reconciled and free from all internal and external conditions that suppressed our dignity for which the commitment was taken,” the statement of commitment stated.
While stating that reconciliation was a “praxis” of the being and doing, the convention urged all the Naga people and organizations to genuinely and honestly implement the values of reconciliation. “Reconciliation is about renewal and to enable healing at all levels of society and must take place at the highest level of all Naga political group based on the historical and political rights of the Nagas,” it observed .
Also explaining that human search for solution and the human need for reconciliation were simultaneous process, the convention asserted that the realization of Naga reconciliation would hasten the will of the people and said it was the responsibility of all Nagas to sensibly respond and demonstrate their active solidarity and participation for Naga reconciliation.
The convention also stressed that the desire of the Nagas to enable “A Common Hope” for all people to walk hand in hand together to create a shared future was paramount. It said the time for callous talks was over and it was time for active and decisive steps towards reconciliation for the Nagas to build a future of hope for coming generations.
The statement of commitment was dedicated and prayed upon by the collective ordained reverends present in the function.
Thus spoke the people: ‘Reconcile’ morungexpress
Dr. Wati Aier
At the Naga Convention for Reconciliation and Peace in Kohima, Convener of Forum for Naga Reconciliation Rev. Dr. Wati Aier and others intercede as participants raise hands in agreement that the Naga groups reconcile.

Kohima, February 22 (MExN): A humble journey undertaken by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation a year ago appealed for reconciliation amongst various warring Naga “political” groups. It no longer seems a cry in the wilderness as thousands of the Naga public today raised their hands and endorsed ‘reconciliation’ as the key to the ‘Journey of common hope.’
Naga public representing more than 40 Naga tribes from various Naga-inhabited areas converged here at Kohima local ground Sunday on the concluding day of the Naga Convention for Reconciliation and Peace. At the event, they gave their commitment to the “daunting but liberating journey towards reconciliation.”
Representatives from the Naga Hoho, Nagaland Baptist Church Council, Quakers Group from Britain, United Naga Council, Naga Council Dimapur and the Naga “national” groups – NNC/FGN (Singya group), NNC (Senka group), “GPRN/NSCN” and “Naga National Workers People Support Group”, delivered solidarity messages. Solidarity messages were also received from the American Baptist Convention, Baptist World Alliance, Baptist International Ministry and former US President Jimmy Carter.
The convener of Forum for Naga Reconciliation Rev. Dr. Wati Aier who read out the ‘Statement of Commitment’ in his keynote address declared that the “Naga spirit is alive and kicking”. Recent trends in Naga history have shown signs of hope, he said.
Informing that all the Naga “national” groups have given their commitment to reconciliation, Rev. Wati said “the campaign for a common voice and movement towards Naga reconciliation has set its pace; we are traveling on this road. Nagas are no longer at the crossroads, as we were a year ago.”
He however admitted that the path to reconciliation is strewn with difficulties and to overcome misgivings, apprehensions and uneasiness among the Nagas, the church leader said Nagas need to trust each other and grow together.
“Our faith in God becomes real only as we recognize and respect one another as man and woman after God’s image” Rev. Aier said. On ‘reconciliation,’ Dr. Wati said the word has been misused and misunderstood and, most often, appeasement was substituted for reconciliation.
“We long for reconciliation with our ‘enemies,’ but we avoid the confession of our guilt and wrongs. So, who will believe those who talk of reconciliation with others yet do not themselves practice it? For this reason, the common Naga questions ‘reconciliation,’ for they see everywhere the un-truthful practice of ‘appeasement’ and ‘propaganda,” he reminded.
In the social, cultural and political context of the Nagas, Rev. Wati said, reconciliation means a new Naga destiny with God and one another. It also means that Naga nationalism was founded on the “historical and political rights of the Nagas” by the founding Naga fathers and mothers.
“To demonstrate, to practice and to preserve Naga freedom through reconciliation, therefore, at this time in our history, means to preserve the long breath of hope in solidarity, between hate and anger, and between reaction and revolution,” he said.
Giving a clarion call that the Naga peoples can be made free through reconciliation, Rev. Wati said “this secret is our hope for a divided Naga house. We must make the cry of freedom out of the depths of the oppressed Nagahood, and answer the call of reconciliation with a resolute will.”
He cautioned that Nagas must guard their rights jealously and with vigilance from all forms of external and internal divisive and disruptive acts.
“We must return to the vision of the ‘historical and political rights of the Nagas’ or our children and generations that will follow will continue to suffer because of the commitments we have not kept,” he said.
A free will offering was also held in today’s convention, the proceeds of which would go towards the cost of organizing the convention. The convention was initiated by forum along with support from mass-based Naga organizations.
Other highlights of today’s convention included songs performed by choirs of Ministers’ Hill Baptist Church, Kohima, Sumi Baptist Church, Kohima, Tizu Area and special songs on reconciliation by Oriental Theological Seminary, Bade.
Well-Known Naga folk singer Reuben Mashangva also entertained the gathering with a song on reconciliation written by Rev. Wati Aier.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by member of the forum Rev Pughoto Aye. The event commenced with scripture recitation and prayer by Rev. Hokey Kaikho, executive secretary, Mao Baptist Church Council.

A statement of commitment

The Naga people have begun the daunting but liberating journey towards reconciliation. The desire of the Nagas to enable A Common Hope in which all people walk hand in hand together to create a shared future is paramount. If Nagas are to build a future of hope for coming generations the time for callous talk is over; and the time for active and decisive steps towards reconciliation is now.
As Nagas that yearn to see our people reconciled and free from all internal and external conditions that suppress our dignity, we hereby make this Statement of Commitment that;
1. Reconciliation is a praxis of the being and doing. Therefore all Naga people and Naga organizations are urged to genuinely and honestly implement the values of reconciliation;
2. Reconciliation is about renewal and to enable healing at all levels of society, which must take place at the highest level of all Naga political groups on the basis of the historical and political rights of the Nagas;
3. The human search for solution and the human need for reconciliation are simultaneous processes; and therefore any political process that seeks to realize and exercise Naga rights must be inclusive in nature and
4. The realization of Naga reconciliation will hasten the will of the people. Therefore it is the responsibility of every Naga to sensibly respond and demonstrate their active solidarity and participation for Naga reconciliation.

Voice of the people is supreme: Khaplang

Dimapur, February 22 (MExN): In the backdrop of the Naga Convention for Reconciliation and Peace, chairman of “GPRN/NSCN” SS Khaplang today said the voice of the people is supreme. Practically, this means solution without the consensus of the people is a mere wish, he said in a message today. Expressing optimism in the backdrop of the convention that the next few days would be some of the most defining periods towards the goal of reconciliation, Khaplang today made a clarion against disregarding the cry of the people.
“I believe Revolution begins from the mind of the people and not from the barrel of guns. Fear becomes a mere tool to delay the inevitable. The will of the people is supreme. A leader who fails to heed the voice of the people becomes a people’s tyrant. Such politics become impractical” Khaplang stated in his message. He also reminded leaders opposing the cry of the people, that they will only become “recluses in their own rigid world”. “Let us not become victims of impractical philosophy or principles” he advised.
Pointing to the decades of blood, tears and strife, Khaplang said physical and emotional wounds shall remain. But, he said, living in that bitterness only prolongs the bitterness against fellowmen and brethren. “No nation can survive by killing its youth. It is time to stitch the severed state of our nation. I have emotional scars, I have physical scars, I have hurt and I have been hurt beyond tolerance but to dwell on the bitter past only prolongs my bitterness against my fellow brothers” he said. Asserting “to do away with” it, Khaplang appealed to all “my Naga comrades everywhere to work as servants of the Naga nation and not as soldiers ready to kill”.
Pointing to the supreme sanction in the voice of the people, Khaplang said “a solution without consensus of all Nagas is a mere wish”. What the Nagas are witnessing today is further fragmentation of their society owing to inflexibility and rigidity “of our earthly wisdom”, Khaplang said. Khaplang also hopes for healing that God will work his miracles on the Nagas.
“I have fought and struggled with enemies of the Nagas for a major part of my life. Regretfully, killing among the Naga brothers is most painful” he said.
“Amidst the tall claims of my fellow Naga brothers on the Indo-Naga political issue, evidently, the Government of India has not raised its eyebrows in the last ten years. This is self explanatory and therefore I remind all Nagas once again that any political settlement with the Government of India is subject to which path we Nagas decide to walk today” he said.
“My dear Nagas, there is no freedom in an intolerant and divided society” he reminded while reminding that future Naga generations await “our pragmatic choice today”.
Khaplang has expressed appreciation to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, the Naga Hoho and its constituent units, Quakers Eastern Naga People’s Organization and its constituent units, Naga Christian Forum, DB & GBs’ forum, Naga Students Federation, Naga People’s Movements for Human Rights and the Naga Mother’s Association and others who stand in solidarity with the Nagas.
NSCN (IM) CO behind brutal killing of SDO morungexpress
Dimapur, February 22 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has expressed “utter disappointment” that one of its commanding cadres of “Kiusumong battalion”, “lt col.” Ningshen was the brains behind the brutal killing of Kasom Khullen SDO and two others. “In what can be termed as the most shocking revelation, one of our senior officers turned out to be the black sheep of the family. To our utter disappointment, it has been established that the commanding officer of Kiusumong battalion, lt. col. H. Ningshen was the brain behind the brutal killing of Kasom Khullen SDO and his two aides”, stated a note issued by “col.” Levi Zimik “PRO/IPR”, ‘Naga army’. The NSCN (IM) note wondered ‘what could have prompted him to undertake such severe measure against the civil servants of Manipur Government’ and that this “cannot justify the inhuman action meted out under his command”. The NSCN (IM) asserted that he was being “tried in the military court of Naga army”.
Accused ‘confesses’ but brings out “charge-sheet”
Dimapur, February 22 (MExN): The individual responsible for the brutal killing of Dr. Th Kishan SDO of Kasom sub-division, his driver Aribam Rajen and another official Y. Token, has confessed pointing out that he was “entirely responsible” for the killings and that it was “dictated” by his own conscience and “no official direction is involved”. However the accused H Ningshen, of the “Kiusumung battalion, Naga army” brought out a three-point “charge-sheet” against the SDO. “I was driven to take such extreme step compelled by the following reasons”, the statement said. Ningshen stated that Dr Kishan “deliberately failed to operate his duty from his officially established office at Kasom Khullen” and that he ran the administration from his private residence in Imphal. “This is against public interest and against official rules”, the statement said.
Ningshen also alleged that the SDO had manipulated and misappropriated public money allotted for developmental schemes for Kasom sub-division. It was also alleged that the SDO was ‘found to be closely collaborating with the so called NNLA (Naga National Liberation Army) led by Aleng and Indian intelligence agencies deliberately to undermine the NSCN’. “These anti-NSCN activities continue despite repeated warning”, he went on to claim.
The accused claimed that these three “charges” were brought against the SDO time and again but that the latter refused to “correct himself”. “And ultimately, I was forced to go by my own conscience to take this drastic action”. The statement also clearly stated that the action taken against the three were “executed without the involvement of any sanction from the government, army or civil authorities”.
MNRF flays NSCN (IM) Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Feb 22: Disclosing that the Manipur Naga Revolutionary Front (MNRF) was set up with Tangkhul leaders against the atrocities, excesses and repressive activities committed by NSCN (IM), the MNRF said that one of its primary objective is to restore the age-old fraternal bond between the hills and valley people.
A press release issued by the outfit’s information and publicity secretary C Rocky further alleged that the NSCN (IM) has the wicked tradition of disowning any individual they sent to commit a crime in case the criminal act get exposed and the public rose up against it. Saying that NSCN (IM) has no respect for the hill people as they are even defying the Government, the MNRF said that the hill people are suffering a lot under the excesses and knavery of NSCN (IM).
With the Government succeeding in rescuing the three surviving employees who were abducted together with late Dr Th Kishan and his two staff, people are hopeful that the whole truths and facts of the brutal murder and its perpetrators can be ascertained now, it noted.
Once the culprits are identified, the individuals/organisation involved should not allowed to go unpunished under any circumstance, it asserted.
It is well known to the public that there are many Tangkhuls in the NSCN (IM) leadership and the slain SDO and his staff were abducted from the heart of Ukhrul, the outfit said while asserting that the crime would not have been committed with the knowledge/approval of the Tangkhul community. As such, it is logical to ask the Tangkhul community to take initiative in searching for the culprits however it would not be correct to add any communal hue such as Meetei/Meitei versus Tangkhul, remarked the outfit.
While calling upon all to join hands in hunting down the culprits and punishing them accordingly, the outfit observed that it would not be correct to harm innocent persons belonging to any community.

Khaplang hails Naga peace meet OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Imphal, Feb. 22: The leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K), S.S. Khaplang, today hailed the Kohima meet that aimed at finding a consensus towards “achieving our rightful goal as a people and nation”. The two-day Naga convention expressed solidarity to the current re-conciliation process. Various Naga tribes, underground groups and churches adopted a resolution and urged all organisations to “genuinely and honestly” implement reconciliation.
Khaplang lauded the Naga organisations, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), Naga Hoho and its constituent units, for taking the initiative to hold the Naga Convention for Reconciliation and Peace.
“Killing among Naga brothers is most painful. It has also given our enemies the comfort and space to sow seeds of distrust among us. In displaying our domineering attitudes, the commonness of our struggle has suffered,” he said in a statement. He reminded the Nagas that any political settlement with the Centre depended upon which path the Nagas decide to walk.
“A solution without consensus of all Nagas is a mere wish. What the Nagas witness today is a further fragmentation of our society owing to inflexibility and rigidity of our earthly wisdom,” he said.
“Leaders opposing the cry of the people become recluses in their own rigid world. Let us not become victims of impractical philosophy or principles,” he said. “I have hurt and I have been hurt beyond tolerance but to dwell on the bitter past only prolongs my bitterness against my fellow brothers. This I have decided to do away with,” he said.
He appealed to all Naga comrades to work as servants of the Naga nation and not as soldiers ready to kill.
NPF-Cong trade more salvo morungexpress
Dimapur, (MExN): The punch-off between the Congress and the NPF continues, with the NPCC today responding to the latter’s associate press secretary’s statement yesterday. The NPF associate press secretary had listed out a number of instances that the Congress and the center had engaged the services of money over a number of political situations recently.
“His statement clearly revealed that money was used for buying off four former Congress MLAs when he referred to an alleged bribery cases of some MPs, by which he meant to say that NPF also did the same thing in Nagaland,” stated a note from the NPCC’s vice president. “He justified that NPF using money to lure and bribe four former Congress MLAs to resign from their seats was not wrong for which NPCC thanks him and appreciate his frankness in this matter,” NPCC stated. However, the Congress stated that in the case of the three BJP MPs’ allegation of bribery in the Parliament, it was “proven to be false by the parliament’s committee and therefore dismissed by the hon’ble speaker”.
The NPCC also asserted that during the 10th house of the state assembly, former CLP chief I Imkong and the NPCC did not 'engineer any defection’. Rather, in 2003, as soon as the election results were declared, the NPF started ‘engineering defections’ to form the DAN government, NPCC stated. The chief minister initiated the defection of seven Congress MLAs into the NPF, the NPCC stated. “The NPF party from a mere position of 19 MLAs rose into 43 MLAs through defection which was engineered by the chief minister. Now comes the question, who is the mastermind behind defection, either I Imkong or Mr. Rio?” the NPCC queried.
Advising that the “people judge for themselves” the NPCC further said “NPF ministers were dropped from the cabinet” when the NPF became the majority in the 10th house. “For example, Mr. Huska Sumi (of JDU), Mr. Khotovi Sumi, Mr. P Chuba Chang, Mr. Joshenlemba to name a few were dropped from the cabinet. Who knows history might be repeated again in the 11th house if the NPF gets a majority in the house,” the NPCC quipped.
“Some” NPF, JD (U) and independent MLAs “resigned from the cabinet and their seats against the NPF’s leadership’s corruption, favoritism and nepotism,” the NPCC added. According to the congress “they had resigned based on the above issues in the interest of the general public whereas four former Congress MLAs resigned from their seats for their selfish interest in terms of money and cabinet berth of their choice of portfolio other than finance and civil supply”.
The NPCC has advised the NPF’s associate press secretary not to “worry” for the Congress. Instead, the NPCC said, he should ‘worry for your own party which is likely going to be blown away very soon”. Over the imposition of President’s Rule in Nagaland, the NPCC said he has “no moral right to talk about the President’s Rule in the state when your NPF working president tendered an apology ion your behalf on this issue”.
Ulfa leader warns cadres of moles
A STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati, Feb. 22: The Ulfa leadership has warned its cadres of the presence of moles in the organisation and asked them to be careful.
A senior police official today claimed that an intercepted radio message from Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua to the outfit’s cadres said the Research and Analysis Wing had infiltrated the organisation.
The message was part of Barua’s address to the cadres on the occasion of the outfit’s “Sainik Divas” on March 16.
The message originated in Station 21, which is suspected to be in Bangladesh, on February 19.
The outfit observes March 16 as “Sainik Divas” every year to mark the raising of its armed wing.
In his address in Assamese, Barua said it was very unfortunate that a few leaders of the outfit had joined hands with RAW and were leaking out secret information.
“It was because of this that we have lost several of our important cadres in recent times. We have be careful in our fight against the Indian colonial forces at this crucial juncture,” the message said.
The transcript of the message runs into three fullscape pages.
The official said that Barua has sent his Sainik Divas message so early pointed at the possibility of the militant leader being on the run.
“The message is meant to be released on the outfit’s Sainik Divas. It appears he (Barua) doubts if he will get a chance to address the cadres later from some other location and so has passed on the message while still at Station 21,” the official said.
Assam police believe that Barua has fled to Yunan province in China, bordering Myanmar, a few days ago and his Sainik Divas message was radioed from Bangladesh to Assam just before he left for China. The official said it was probably the change in government in Bangladesh, which has forced the Ulfa commander to flee to China or probably it was “distrust” among the leadership that prompted him to escape.
“We have information that Partha Gogoi, a senior leader of the outfit, has been trying since a year now to establish contact with China. Gogoi, who hails from Sivasagar district, has been camping in Yunan for several months now,” the official said.
Barua’s message also bemoaned that there has been indiscipline in the “chain of command” in the outfit and a few cadres were not obeying the orders of their seniors.
A member of the central committee of Ulfa had recently visited Assam from Bangladesh in the middle of last year and established contact with Assam police.
He, the police had claimed, had played a pivotal role in the Alpha and the Charlie companies of the 28 battalion declaring a unilateral ceasefire in June last year.
It cannot be ascertained though, if this led Barua to speak about the moles.
“We have to maintain complete discipline within the organisation to carry forward our struggle,” he said.
While addressing the women cadres of the outfit, Barua said they should encourage their husbands to be strong and brave in their war for freedom.
“You all should take inspiration from Mulagabharu, the brave Assamese woman who fought against the British,” said Barua.
Chidambaram’s ULFA remark draws AJYCP flak Assam tribune
GUWAHATI, Feb 22 – The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) today criticized Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for advocating a military solution to the ULFA issue instead of a political answer to the vexed matter. The AJYCP also called upon both New Delhi and the ULFA to declare ceasefire before Rongali Bihu and insisted on the Centre to initiate meaningful parleys with the banned outfit.

Interacting with media persons here, the newly elected executive members of the student body said that advocating a military solution to the ULFA problem would further complicate the matter and that the Union Home Minister’s attitude only reflected his political short sightedness and indifference towards the sentiments of the people of Assam.

The functionaries of the student body divulged the resolutions adopted at the central convention of the organization held at Golaghat recently. General secretary Manoj Baruah said that on the basis of the Golaghat resolutions directives have been issued to all the district and sub-divisional units of the organization to get ready for leading a mass movement to intensify the demands that have been placed by the AJYCP since its inception.

It may be mentioned here that the AJYCP has been demanding full autonomy for the State and also inner-line permit since long.

“But the government has so far not conceded to our demands. So we have decided to intensify our movement,” said Baruah.

Baruah noted that bicameral system was needed in the State to effectively represent the aspirations of all communities.

The AJYCP said that introduction of dual citizenship and inner-line permit would solve the foreigners problem and expressed concern at the mounting border tension among the north east states. “The border tension has adversely affected the age-old amity between the people of the north easts states,” said Baruah.

The student body has asked the Central Government to declare the death anniversary of Srimanta Sankardeva as a national holiday.