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08/21/2011: "Naga Reconciliation: A journey of common hope Isak Chishi Swu S Singnya Khole Konyak"

Naga Reconciliation: A journey of common hope Isak Chishi Swu | S Singnya | Khole Konyak

Nagas have longed for genuine reconciliation among us; and notwithstanding our commitment and support, the path to Naga reconciliation remained arduous due to decades of conflict fortified between us. Nevertheless, our commitment to Naga reconciliation brought us together on August 20, 2011, in Dimapur, Nagaland, in the spirit of openness towards one another and the indispensable necessity of reconciliation for the historical and political cause of the Nagas.
Having met today through the Forum for Naga Reconciliation we wish to inform the Naga people that we have honestly shared our personal opinions on the tragic divisions of the past. We acknowledge that during this time of separation we have profoundly hurt one another; and today through this God given opportunity we have expressed how deeply Sorry we are and we have genuinely forgiven each other. For healing to take place, we also take this time to collectively express our sincere apology to the Naga people for all the wrongs we have committed in the course of the Naga struggle.
Henceforth, we declare to the Naga people that we have reconciled before God and fellow human beings and in this spirit of reconciliation we are persuaded to understand each other and work towards a shared Naga future on the foundation of our historical and political rights.
Fellow Nagas, in the spirit of love let the past remain the past, and from today, let us toil for our common cause.

Mr. Isak Chishi Swu
Chairman, NSCN/GPRN

SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLENCY, THE YARUIWO ISAK CHISHI SWU
ON THE OCCASION OF 65th NAGA INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
14th AUGUST 2011. CHQ, HEBRON

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
My dear Naga people,
Six decades ago on this historic day, the 14th of August 1947, the Naga people took a historic decision to remain as an independent nation and subsequently held a plebiscite in 1951 in affirmation of that decision. Since then the conflict started between the Indian Armed Forces and the Nagas. The Government of India (GoI) initiated a systematic military campaign to crush the Naga struggle for independence terming it as “law and order” problem and a “secessionist” movement.
Today with the change of policy, the GoI has set aside the military option and embarked on a peace process towards political solution. Such a positive step was welcomed by the Nagas because the Nagas had been stating that political issue must be solved through political means. The peace dialogue between the GoI and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) began on a right note in 1997 - at the highest level, without pre-conditions and in third countries.
We have come to the negotiating table with a view to arriving at an honorable political settlement. The official recognition of the Naga unique history and situation by the GoI in 2002 set the political negotiations in the right perspective. The Naga people also highly appreciate Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India who stated to go “extra-mile” and to seek “solution outside the box.” We consider his statement as a profound and genuine commitment towards settlement.
During the 14 years long negotiations we have faced many hurdles but through deep commitment and patience of both the parties we have come thus far. We have come to understand each other’s position and difficulties in a more realistic way by narrowing down many of our differences considering the “contemporary realities and a future vision consistent with the imperatives of the 21st century”, which must be appreciated by one and all.
For the Nagas, land, people, political principles and historical rights are inalienable. Hence, their aspiration to live together as one people under one political roof is their inherent right. We therefore assure our people that we will not enter into any agreement at the expense of our rights. We also reassure the Naga people that sovereignty lies with the people and on this principle we will collectively shape our common future by taking the right decisions.
The reconciliation process among the different Naga groups may seem to be a difficult task from human point of view, however, it is not impossible. We therefore assure the Nagas and all those who support reconciliation that, we will go to any length to achieve this goal.
The GoI and NSCN have agreed to arrive at an honorable political settlement in the shortest possible time. We appreciate the earnest efforts of the GoI and the Nagas believe that the leadership of the GoI too understands the steps taken by the Nagas and we therefore hope that they will exercise their utmost political wisdom with all seriousness and give their honest efforts to resolve the long standing conflict. However, both the parties must be vigilant enough not to allow any divisive elements to sabotage the golden opportunities.
We wish to extend our appreciation to all the Naga people, individuals, Churches, well-wishers and civil societies in Nagalim and abroad for their dedicated and unwavering support towards peaceful resolution of conflict. We look forward to your sincere role and participation in the nation-building process in the days to come too.
I would like to say sorry to the people of Nagalim for acts of omission and commission while performing our duties. May the good Lord forgive and have compassion on us.
We assure all our neighbors and those people who aspire for peace that we are totally committed to peaceful resolution of all issues.

KUKNALIM!
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF NAGALIM
Ministry of Information and Publicity

Press Release
14th August,2011

On the occasion of 65th Naga Independence day celebrated at Hebron the significance of Naga history and the rights of the Nagas was presented before the NSCN members by Hon’ble Ato Kilonser Mr.Th.Muivah in a manner that reflects the reality of the Indo-Naga political talks and the urgency for the members of NSCN to realize the necessity to make the right decision-“NSCN must take the right decision and now is the time”, he said but with the tone of exasperation given the fact that NSCN’s sins may block the way for the earliest solution. He made a fervent plea to the members to know the truth that God is the master of everything and He is the master of Nagalim. Therefore, the need to work in close coordination with God’s will.
Mr.Muivah brought forward the Naga history in a perspective manner before the members by pointing out how Naga’s political issue had been treated by India beginning from Mahatma Gandhi. Naga’s political right was fully acknowledged by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian nation when he said to the Naga delegation led by Uncle Phizo, ”Nagas have every right to be independent. We will not force you….” Things however change during Nehru who exercise no wisdom and patience but to crush the Nagas by force. Muivah reminded the Nagas how Nehru treated the Naga issue in a despicable manner when he said “I will not allow Nagas to be independent”. Nehru never consider that Naga have history and their rights. And he took the stand to crush the Nagas within one week. But Nehru was proved wrong and Nagas stands undefeated even after more than sixty years. “Where is the wisdom of Nehru”, Muivah asked.
Muivah further pointed out that India had invested countless of money and many army generals were sent to finish the Nagas. But to crush the Nagas was never achieved. And a time finally comes when there was realization that it is not possible to solve Naga political issue by force. The Nagas under NSCN also took the firm stand that unless the Nagas’ history and right is respect there can be no solution.
Muivah recalled those days after the signing of Indo-Naga ceasefire when political talks started NSCN’s stand was made very clear to the then India’s Interlocutor Mr Padmanabhaiah when he pointedly told to him that Nagas are not lost people and Nagas have history, and how Padmanabhaiah at last admitted the existence of Naga history.
It was during the BJP led government when the Unique Naga history and situation was given official recognition. It was then agreed that as the Naga history is unique so the solution must also be unique. When the Congress led UPA took over the government the same commitment was given.
Significantly, NSCN , during the political talks with India made thing very clear that Naga history must not be subject to Indian constitution. NSCN took this stand very firmly and stood the ground throughout. A time comes when the Congress-led government realized that unless Naga history is respected there can be no solution. During the meeting with India’s Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh he said to Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and Gen.Secy Muivah, “Your history is unique and we appreciate it”’ and he gave a very clear indication that solution will also be based on this. He further assured that India will go “extra-mile” and seek “solution outside the box”
When Mr.RS.Pandey took over as India’s new Interlocutor Muivah said to him.”If you want solution please learn to understand Naga first and respect Naga history. It does not take much time for Pandey to admit that solution must be based on unique Naga history and situation. This also goes to show that India recognized the rights of the Nagas with regards to Integration and sovereignty. This is the change of realization on the part of India towards Naga issue. From the Naga’s point of view NSCN have taken the firm stand that there will be no solution without integration.
History has changed in favour of Nagas during the 14 years of negotiation with India.”Your time has come and my time has come”, Muivah said to the NSCN members. “Now you have to decide and take the right decision. Don’t blame Isak Swu and don’t blame Muivah”, he made his point clear. Muivah was trying to drive home the point that the NSCN members must correct themselves and realize the life of sins that God abhors. Because, God may never come to Nagas favor because of their sins.
There are many reasons behind why India realizes the history and rights of the Nagas. When the infamous Shillong Accord was signed the Governor LP.Singh announced.”The longest insurgency in Southeast Asia is solved once and for all”. But it was proved wrong and India realizes that.
Muivah takes pain to remind the members that God has been with the Nagas but they have neglected God. India has realized the history and rights of the Nagas but the NSCN members are yet to realize themselves, he said. But he said God is not a fool, and He knows you and He knows me. He mince no words to point out that the sins of NSCN members may block the way for Naga political solution.
He pleaded with the members to uphold “Nagalim for Christ” in order that God fights for the Nagas. “Our correct decision will save the nation”-he concluded
Issued by
MIP/GPRN

Early solution to border row sought
Correspondent
GOLAGHAT, Aug 18 – Uzani Asom Muslim Kalyan Parishad and Jamiat-Ulema, Golaghat district committee submitted a memorandum on the Merapani incident to the Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat on Wednesday seeking an early solution to the Assam-Nagaland border row. The organisations demanded compensation to the family members of Bhuban Ali, who was killed by Naga miscreants recently. The organisations demanded that the district administration should take all steps to establish peace between the Assamese and the Nagas residing at Merapani. The Governments of Assam and Nagaland also should immediately arrest the culprits involved in the killing of Bhuban Ali, they said. They said the administration should take steps to release the Assamese people who were detected in the Bhaudari Police Station of Nagaland.
The charter of demands also stated that the State Government should ensure security of the lives of Assam-Nagaland border people concede local people’s demand to appoint a State police battalion in the border areas. It also stated that the district administration should convene the peace committee among the Naga and Assamese people in the ‘D’ sector, Merapani.
It may be mentioned here that Md Bhuban Ali of Merapani went to Nagaland to collect the dues from a Naga youth, where a quarrel took place and the Naga youth with the help of some other Nagas killed Ali. The incident created fear-psychosis among the border people and later Nagas threatened Assamese people as well, it is learnt.
To day, the secretary of the Upper Assam Muslim Kalyan Parishad and Jamiat Ulema, Golaghat district committee, under the leadership of Md Araf Ali and president of GJUS Md Abdul Gaffar organised a press meet at Priyam Bhawan, Golaghat, where they alleged that the neutral force (CRPF) installed at Merapani ‘D’ sector failed to take any measures to quell the trouble that occurred in the areas over murder of Bhuban Ali. The PWD Minister Ajanta Neog had visited Merapani to stock of the situation, but it is a matter of surprise that no administrative officers of Nagaland took part in discussion.
The office-bearers of the two organisations also alleged that one Mombey Lutha, a Naga youth was involved in the murder of Bhuban Ali.
The Assamese people dwelling in the border area were reportedly threatened by the Nagas after this incident, and as a result, the people had to leave their houses fearing for their lives.
Toward Finding a Solution to the Problems of Our Eastern Brethren
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Mazie Nakhro, PhD

Our state government has sufficient funds and many good programs for development of the Eastern Nagaland Nagas. But the problem is the corrupt people, including the ones from Eastern Nagaland, who use the system for personal gain and show very little concern for the poor and needy in remote places. As such, the developmental programs and services often fail. Even public money does not reach its intended people because it gets pocketed in the forms of cuts, commissions and taxes. In a way, our pipeline is broken and our containers have too many holes. This has resulted in deep feelings of discontent and disunity within the Naga family. So this article examines three different ways of finding a solution:
Option #1. Separate Statehood: Some Eastern Nagas assume that their problems can be best solved through the creation of another state, a Frontier Nagaland. But before taking such a drastic measure, they would do well to answer these questions: Does this mean that all Eastern Nagas have to leave their jobs and residences in Western Nagaland? Does this mean that the Aos, the Tenyimis, the Sumis and others living in Eastern Nagaland must evacuate too? What if our intermarried couples and their children dislike the idea of a disintegrated Naga family? What if some people of Kiphere see a better future with their Western brethren in view of their proximity to Kohima or Dimapur? What if the Tikhir tribe decides not to join with the other six tribes? What if the present government of Nagaland opposes the separation? And what if Delhi decides not to create one more state for the Nagas? If any of these things gets in the way, the six tribes could be left hanging in a limbo and this could put them further behind others.
Although the grievances of the Eastern Nagas are genuine, the basis of their demand is weak and shaky. It is neither grounded on a different racial commonality nor supported by a different religious faith. Their demand is only based on developmental, social and political grievances which can be easily corrected.
As members of the same Naga family, we must stand together or else we will all fall together. For example, a further split in our family will further complicate our struggle for a common Naga future. A formation of another state under the Indian Constitution goes against our dream of coming together under a single political umbrella. If we become divided, the strength of our voice will also be weakened in terms of our negotiation with India or our fight for the welfare of our brethren living in Myanmar.
The idea of a separation also goes against modern trends: intermarriages are increasingly occurring among our young people and our children’s generation will prefer more social networking over some socio-political issues. My point is this: we must not make things worse for our children. On a broader scale, people everywhere are increasingly moving from rural to urban, thus bringing an unprecedented demographic change. This will also be true for our Eastern Nagas. Whether for education, jobs, business or travel, it would be in their interest not to cut themselves off from places like Kohima, Dimapur, Jorhat, Sibsagar and even Imphal. Closer collaboration, not more isolation, is our real need.
In an age when the world is increasingly coming closer together, what will others think of us if we break further apart? I think of Utter Pradesh which has a population of around 200 million, comprising of over 200 different people groups from various religious backgrounds, believe in staying together under one political umbrella despite their differences. On the other hand, the entire population of Nagaland is just 1.9 million—all Christians living over an area of 16,527 sq. kilometers. As such, does it make sense to break up into more pieces? Is this how we solve our problems?
Option #2. Autonomous Council: The DAN government is recommending the creation of an autonomous council. This would have the authority to administer the ENPO areas – Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphere Districts. In other words, this autonomous council would have legislative, executive and financial powers as per provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The flaws with this proposal, in my view, are as follows: First, it fails to address the root cause of the problems, namely, the failure of the DAN government in the development of the four districts to be at par with the rest of the state. And although Delhi is still willing to pour in more funds, this will not solve the problems unless the “broken pipeline” and the “containers with holes” are repaired. Second, granting an autonomous council status will further complicate our present system of government as we will be faced with two competing executive and legislative authorities. To move away from our union is to go backward. Third, the DAN’s proposal could promote further step-motherly treatment, although the blame could be shifted. Under this arrangement, the people of Eastern Nagaland will have to depend upon Kohima in much the same way as the various Indian states have to look up to Delhi.
Option #3. Union of Equals: In my view, the demand for a separate state should not become a “non-negotiable” item. Rather we should see unity, equality and justice as non-negotiable. And this ought to be our common fight—not as Eastern Nagas versus Western Nagas, but as fellow Nagas helping one another. With this in mind, I would like to recommend the following provisions for our Eastern brethren:

1. When the Chief Minister of the state comes from Western Nagaland, the second highest office should be drawn from Eastern Nagaland and vice versa. And as a gesture of our commitment to equal opportunities, we could offer the post of the Chief Minister for the next legislative term to someone from Eastern Nagaland.
2 We should add a few more Legislative seats for Eastern Nagas, including one for the Tikhir tribe (subject to negotiation with the Centre).
3. All members of the state Assembly from Eastern Nagaland should form a Regional Committee to deal with matters relating to that region. And they should be responsible to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the working of the government.
4. We should empower Eastern Nagaland through a distributed system of devolution of power and privatization of services so that government employees may be moved closer to the people for more efficient services. Also, we should empower each village to function more like a mini-government. All these could lead to faster development and creation of thousands of jobs, especially in the private sector.
5. The recruitment to government posts in Eastern Nagaland, carrying a salary of up to Rs. 6000 a month, should be made only from among the people who have lived in Eastern Nagaland for at least 15 years. Also, the allotment of job should be based on merit plus the consideration of the least economically advantaged situation of the individual applicants from our Eastern region; otherwise, our present system of backward quota or reservation could still end up benefiting the most politically connected members of the communities.
6. The entire revenue from Eastern Nagaland should be spent on the development of that region, after having met its proportionate share of the common expenditure of the state of Nagaland. Additionally, portions of revenue generated from industries and taxes collected from urban areas should go toward developing the less developed areas in our remote places; or simply put, our cities should feed our villages.
7. The state government should develop Eastern Nagaland through a four-pronged strategy: (i) give the next five years of focused development to the Eastern region, (ii) get the Indian government to implement the “Look East Policy” via road connectivity and international trades, (iii) produce a highly educated society with emphasis on having quality teachers as top priority, and (iv) empower NGOs as well as church organizations to invest in the building up of a better Eastern Nagaland.