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12/30/2011: "Adinno urges Naga people to maintain national unity morungexpress"

Adinno urges Naga people to maintain national unity morungexpress

Dimapur, (MExN): President of the Naga National Council Adinno Phizo extends New Year wishes, urging to “maintain national unity and peace, regardless of the prevailing situation.” Illustrating the hopes of a New Year, a message from the London-based NNC leader received here today expressed delight that leaders could meet like a “family” with “no hidden agenda.” Adinno Phizo was referring to what she said is a meeting with Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues.
“In the latter part of 2011, I met some young Naga visitors representing civil society from Nagaland, and separately, Mr Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues and opposition party member ‘state’ politicians, respectively. Whenever our people met our departed leader, and now meeting with me, it was/ is always very much like family freely speaking to one another, no hidden agenda!” Phizo explained in her message.
“I believe our people, irrespective of political/individual opinions, are convinced of the imperative for maintenance of traditional harmony so that dark forces insidious culture never sully Naga society.”
Phizo then extended New Years wishes to all. “As the year 2011 draws to a close, and we look forward to the New Year, I appeal to our Naga people to maintain national unity and peace, regardless of the prevailing situation. I also, strongly urge regional leaders to abide by the Yehzabo (constitution) of Nagaland and take responsibility to rein in sectarian outfits from perpetrating war crimes against Naga people as agents of the enemy divide and rule policy,” Phizo’s message stated.
The NNC leader said the Naga people “who love their country don't particularly shout loyalty towards the Naga National Council (NNC) and the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) because like it or not, without the root and body no entity can give meaning to modern Naga nation state.” She added that “It couldn't have been simply coincidence that a new generation appears keen to rediscover their root in modern Nagaland heretofore far from a cohesive federation of independent Naga communities. Our people must never forget many thousands Naga patriots who sacrificed their lives in defending Nagaland independence and over 100,000 Naga civilians lost their lives at the hands of brutal Indian army.”
Phizo stated that “In a fast changing world, concerning peace and justice, nothing can justify the unremitting Indian occupation army militarised tyranny in Nagaland since 1954 and India trampling over the sovereignty of Nagaland.” This she said “plainly contradicts the widely reported Government of India (GoI) desire to find an honourable solution to the "vexed Naga problem". It also, clearly belies India's self-assertive progressive international image among democratic nations.”
There is only one honorable way out to find an amicable settlement of the protracted conflict with India, she explained. “The problem points to the GoI obsession to circumvent NNC and FGN. In the circumstances, as long as the Indian army occupy our country, the enemy evil designs to divide and rule won't go away. Unlike insurgencies in India, GoI fully understand that Nagaland never constituted an integral part of India.”
Meanwhile, she added, “whatever challenges lies ahead in the coming year 2012, the will of our indomitable people to be free is irreversible.”

Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization resolves not to cooperate with GPRN/NSCN Nagaland Post
Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization (ENPO) has resolved not to extend public co-operation to GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) for violation of its December 18, 2007; November 13, 2009 and December 23, 2011 resolutions.

The decision was made at an emergency meeting of ENPO and Tribal Units on Thursday here in the aftermath of the killing of late Tsilongse Sangtam of Sangsomong village, near Kuthur village.

Kiphire Correspondent Adds: United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC), Akehda Sangtamlarü Thsingmüjang and Joint forum of Kiphire District at a joint co-ordination emergency meeting on December 23 affirmed to stand by the ENPO resolution.

ENPO at its December 18, 2007 meeting held in Tuensang, had adopted a resolution that there should be no bloodshed, threat, intimidation or any form of violence with ENPO jurisdiction that included Naga territories under Myanmar. ENPO resolved that it would not extend any public co-operation to any faction/group for non-compliance of the above. ENPO also resolved to appeal to all Nagas with regard to its resolutions.

At the December 23 meeting, which also discussed the situation in Dimapur and Zunheboto where GPRN/NSCN and NSCN(K) were engaged in clashes, ENPO decided that any feedback or out come of the situation of Dimapur and Zunehboto shall not be reflected under the jurisdiction of Kiphire District, since it has been declared as “Peace Zone”
UNC assembly on January 2 OUR CORRESPONDENT The telegraph
Imphal, The United Naga Council (UNC) has convened an emergency federal assembly of the organisation on January 2 and urged all the Naga community in Manipur to hold a special prayer on New Year’s Day for early settlement of the Naga political issue.
P. Timothy, speaker of the UNC, said the meeting would be held at the district headquarters of Senapati to deliberate “urgent and important” matters.
The UNC asked all the district and indigenous community presidents to attend the programme.
S. Milan, publicity and information secretary of the UNC, told this correspondent that the assembly would discuss the “ongoing issues” of the organisation. However, he did not elaborate on the agenda.
Sources said the assembly was expected to discuss the Centre’s apathy towards solving the Naga political issue in the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M).
The UNC is agitating to support the demand for an “alternative administrative arrangement” for the Nagas living in Manipur outside the purview of the Manipur government.
The Naga organisation imposed a “ban” on the construction of the railway line from Jiribam to Imphal via Tupul of Tamenglong district for two months from December 16 to protest against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement on Manipur’s territorial integrity during a public rally inside Kangla Fort.
The Prime Minister had said there was no special arrangement for Nagas living outside Nagaland. The announcement came after the UNC met the Prime Minister in Imphal, seeking intervention of the Centre to its demand for an alternative administrative arrangement.
The rail line construction was suspended after the UNC ban. The Okram Ibobi Singh government deployed security forces to resume work, but it is yet to start.
The UNC is also opposing inclusion of Naga villages in Sadar Hills district, while carving it out of Senapati district.
The organisation imposed an economic blockade along Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways, the only supply lines from August 21 to November 28 against “bifurcation” of Naga areas.
The UNC will resume its hourlong public curfew daily between noon and 1pm from January 3. It suspended the curfew from December 22 to honour the spirit of Christmas.
The organisation said the curfew would continue to register people’s protest against “indifferent attitude of the Centre on the demand for alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur pending Indo-Naga final settlement”.
The assembly will discuss all these issues during the January 2 meeting.
The UNC also urged Nagas to pray for early settlement of the Naga issue and reconciliation of all Naga political groups during New Year’s Day service.
Car-lifters had links with army ‘robbers’ PULLOCK DUTTA The Telegraph


Jorhat, The army personnel from Dimapur who robbed the house of a Jorhat businessman last Tuesday had links with an inter-state gang of car-lifters who probably instigated the raid.
Jorhat superintendent of police Sanjukta Parasor told The Telegraph today that it was almost certain that a local car-lifter, Nirmal Gogoi, alias Lal, was part of the group which broke into the house of Poona Gogoi, a contractor with military engineering services, at Rowriah on the outskirts of Jorhat on December 21.
Nirmal hails from the Jamuguri near Rowriah.
“It was Nirmal who probably brought the group of army men from Nagaland to raid the house of Poona Gogoi. Things would come to light only after the arrest of Nirmal or the group of army personnel involved in the crime,” she said.
Investigation into the robbery case revealed that the heavily armed group, including a lady, were from the Rangapahar-based 3 Corps headquarters near Dimapur in Nagaland.
They came in two vehicles, tied up Poona Gogoi’s wife, two teenaged sons and daughter, locked them up inside a room and decamped with Rs 1.5 lakh in cash, other valuables, including three mobile phones and a .32 licensed pistol owned by the businessman, who was not at home at the time of the robbery.
The police got a hint of the army’s involvement through a phone that the gang had snatched from the house.
An army jawan, havildar Sandeep Thapa, has been making regular calls from the mobile phone to his home in Himachal Pradesh.
Poona Gogoi told The Telegraph today that there was no doubt that Nirmal and another car-lifter, Gunen Gogoi, was part of the team which looted his house.
“My children and wife have identified the two dacoits since they hail from this area and have seen them earlier,” Poona Gogoi said. He and the members of Nabajyoti Yuba Sangh, a local socio-cultural organisation of which he is the secretary, had asked Nirmal several times to leave Rowriah as he had brought a bad name to the locality.
“He had probably come to take revenge. Had I been at home that night, I would have been killed,” he said. Regarding the involvement of army personnel, Poona Gogoi said he had no clue in this regard, but his children and wife identified havildar Sandeep Thapa, whose photograph was shown on television last night, as one of the gang members.
“I am engaged with contractual jobs with MES and Air Force since 2003 but have never worked out of Jorhat district. I don’t know why an army team from Dimapur had come to raid my house,” he said. Poona Gogoi said the gang had asked for identity cards of his sons, who are college students. “The gang probably did not come solely to rob my house, otherwise why would they asked for my son’s identity cards?”
The Jorhat police have filed a petition before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate to issue warrants against the army personnel involved in the robbery. The SP said there was no option left but to file a petition before the court since there was no response from the army despite repeated attempts.
Christmas Message of the Yaruiwo, NSCN/GPRNIsak Chishi Swu Morungexpress
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
The savior is born. The liberator has come. Glory to God!

On behalf of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim I send our Christmas greeting to all the people of Nagalim.
My dear Naga people, because of sin all creation lied in hopelessness and longed for salvation. Humanity fell short of the glory of God. To save humankind from the bondage of sin God sent the Saviour Jesus Christ here on earth.
My dear Naga people, God was to choose between destruction or Salvation. He chose Salvation. His plan of salvation embraces the Naga people too. We have emerged from darkness to light after we received the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
My dear Naga people, nothing is greater than His act of love of sending His only begotten Son as the Savior of the whole world and His creation. Saving humankind is His greatest work of love. Apart from Christ there is no Salvation. To value and accomplish the race entirely depends on us.
My dear Naga people, we fear not the adversaries but we realize that the seriousness of our own sins has been the greatest hurdle today towards an honorable solution to our issue. To be for Christ is the only right decision for us today. To struggle against the evil will lead the Naga people to strive for good. The hope for the future lies in obedience and total submission to Christ. He is the answer to our everlasting quest for freedom. Therefore Nagalim will be for Christ.
May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in Naga Nation.
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Isak Chishi Swu
Yaruiwo Government of the
People’s Republic of Nagalim

Pray for ongoing Naga peace process: Pusa Nagaland Post
KOHIMA Former Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K V Pusa urged the Naga people to pray ceaselessly for the ongoing Naga peace process between the union government and the “Naga militants”.

Speaking at the mass Christmas celebration at Viswema village near Kohima, Pusa said peace was a pre-requisite for all round development in Nagaland and that efforts from all walks of life should be put together to usher in enduring peace.

He said peace has eluded Naga people for many years but now expectation of the people was high due to the ongoing peace process between the “Naga militants” and the centre.

He said to achieve a permanent peace everybody’s contribution was needed.
Reminding the people that Christ had come to this world to propagate peace and harmony among people, Pusa said Christmas reminded people that the values they share should far triumph over whatever differences there were among Naga people.

He said the day symbolized a yearning of people for peace and joy and urged people to follow the teachings of ‘Prince of Peace’ n their lives and work for harmony and unity in society.

Disturbed by sporadic violence and fragile peace in Naga society the Congress leader urged people to keep in mind Jesus’ message of love, compassion and forgiveness which was a message of universal and everlasting significance.

He also urged the people of Viswema to lead Nagas in fostering peace and unity and contribute for lasting peace in Naga society. Please pray for the ongoing peace process ceaselessly so that permanent peace would come to our land the congress leader said.

Thousands of people attended the mass celebrations hosted by Pusa at the village ground. People from all the churches-Baptist, Catholic, Christian Revival Church and Pentecostal along with their priests attended the celebrations. The churches and people of Viswema thanked the congress leader for hosting the celebrations and wished him a long life.

Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization resolves not to cooperate with GPRN/NSCN Nagaland Post
TUENSANG/KIPHIRE Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization (ENPO) has resolved not to extend public co-operation to GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) for violation of its December 18, 2007; November 13, 2009 and December 23, 2011 resolutions.

The decision was made at an emergency meeting of ENPO and Tribal Units on Thursday here in the aftermath of the killing of late Tsilongse Sangtam of Sangsomong village, near Kuthur village.

Kiphire Correspondent Adds: United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC), Akehda Sangtamlarü Thsingmüjang and Joint forum of Kiphire District at a joint co-ordination emergency meeting on December 23 affirmed to stand by the ENPO resolution.

ENPO at its December 18, 2007 meeting held in Tuensang, had adopted a resolution that there should be no bloodshed, threat, intimidation or any form of violence with ENPO jurisdiction that included Naga territories under Myanmar. ENPO resolved that it would not extend any public co-operation to any faction/group for non-compliance of the above. ENPO also resolved to appeal to all Nagas with regard to its resolutions.

At the December 23 meeting, which also discussed the situation in Dimapur and Zunheboto where GPRN/NSCN and NSCN(K) were engaged in clashes, ENPO decided that any feedback or out come of the situation of Dimapur and Zunehboto shall not be reflected under the jurisdiction of Kiphire District, since it has been declared as “Peace Zone”.
Bitter Wormwood Easterine Morungexpress
The struggle for independence from India by the Naga people, indigenous inhabitants of the Naga Hills, has been a story hidden for several decades. Cleverly concealed by censorship on newspaper reports, there was only one western journalist, a British war correspondent named Gavin Young (The Daily Telegraph) who managed to enter Nagaland illegally in the 1960s and report what he saw of the genocide and rape and torture of the Nagas by the Indian Army.
The IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs) 1986 report The Naga Nation and its Struggle against Genocide, recorded that as many as 100,000 Nagas were killed in fighting with India beginning from 1956. Naga Federal government statistics claim that villagers who fled their burned villages and died of starvation and disease bring the number closer to two hundred thousand from the 50s to the 60s. The main source of information for the IWGIA report was Naga historian Dr. Visier Sanyu.
The first killings occurred in 1948 when two Nagas were shot dead by the Indian army in Tuensang, followed by another two killings in 1950, and the attack on Khonoma village and Lungkhum village in 1953. In 1954, the numbers rose to 64 Nagas killed and at the beginning of 1955, 279 Nagas were recorded killed by the army. Between January 1955 and July 1957 the estimated damage stood at: 79,794 houses burnt, 26,550,000 mounds of paddy burnt and 9,60,000,000 rupees worth of goods destroyed (source: The Naga Chronicle p.148 and p.181).
The IWGIA report documents some of the tortures in April and May 1955 by the Assam Police Battalion, beginning with the burning of 200 granaries of Mokokchung village. This was accompanied by atrocities like beating a pregnant woman and forcing her to give birth in public, raping of the village women and killing of the menfolk. In September the harvest was destroyed by the same police battalion and five village women were raped, amongst whom were two minor girls. Both young students and adults were shot and killed or tortured to death by the battalion.
In 1956, the Indian army began taking prisoners and using them for target practice. Groupings of villagers and tortures of the villagers became routine by 1957. The stories of torture documented by both the IWGIA and The Naga Chronicle seem to surpass each other in the army's inhuman treatment of the Nagas: men were tied to poles and burned; they were buried alive; their genitals were given electric currents. Each instance of torture was more gruesome and horrible than the next. The report lists the tortures and repression of the Nagas by the Indian army as "i) execution in public; ii) mass raping; iii) deforming sex organs; iv) mutilating limbs and body; v) electric shocks; vi) puncturing eyes; vii) hanging people upside down; viii) putting people in smoke-filled rooms; ix) burning down of villlages; x) concentration camps; xi) forced starvation and labour." One of the stories of rape had as its intention the desecration of the village church of Yankeli where four minor girls were raped by the Maratha contingent on 11 July 1971. The church building was abandoned by the villagers after that incident.
Of the reports, one of the most pitiable incidents occurred in 1962. The village of Matikhru was attacked by the Indian army and all the women and children were chased out of the village. After that all the male adults were tortured and beheaded. This was followed by the burning of the village. The village holds an annual Remembrance day when they re-enact the killing of the 12 male members of the village.
The conflict which began as a peaceful resistance of Indian occupation escalated into a violent full-scale war after the death of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji had supported the Naga right to remain independent of India and even declared that anyone who tried to force them into the Indian Union would have to deal with him first. Sadly the Mahatma was killed in that first rush after independence and Nehru, the first Prime Minister of free India, chose the path of military aggression to make the Nagas submit.
At the height of military oppression in 1956, the Naga Army was formed and its members traveled to China and East Pakistan to find arms to fight the Indian army. Subsequent groups that went to China in the mid-70s were exposed to Chinese Marxist ideology. Factional killings begun by breakaway groups erupted in the Naga National Council in this period, eroding the Naga cause through the years.
In 1980, the first factional group called themselves the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and used the slogan, "Nagaland for Christ." After some years, there was a split in the NSCN, and two factional groups appeared, the Isak Muivah and the Khaplang factions. The factions began killing off the leaders of the Naga National Council, and drug addicts and drug peddlers, as well as members of their rival groups on a large scale right through the 80s, 90s and up till 2008. In the continuous infighting amongst the Naga freedom fighters, Naga society was riven apart by extortion, and rapid brutalization.
Today, many young Nagas struggle with a confused identity. This confusion began after India launched its war of occupation and enacted the creation of Naga statehood in 1963. Statehood was an agreement between a small group of Nagas and the Delhi government. Under statehood, Indian citizenship was imposed on Nagas, but they were denied many of the rights of citizens of India under the Indian constitution. Laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Disturbed areas act took away the fundamental rights of Nagas and continued to put them at the mercy of the armed forces.
The situation in the Indian metropolises is worrying. Students and workers from the Northeast continue to face a large percentage of racist attacks. The Times of India dated Oct 27, 2009 carried a long article entitled, "Girls from NE soft target in city." It listed various incidents including the rape and murder of a 6 year old girl from the North-east, the murder of a Naga girl by an IIT student and the beating up of Naga and a number of North-east people by locals. Sexual harassment and rape of Naga girls were initially denied redressal by the police in Indian cities but by 2009, the Ministry DonNER had decided to set "North-East Connect" to provide relief to beleaguered students (Assam Tribune, Oct 30, 2009).
The North East Support and Help Centre (NESHC), a very crucial helpline begun in September 2007, recorded that 86 percent of people from the Northeast had experienced racist attacks. Shortly after the murder of the Naga girl, the Times of India carried two more reports on Nov 7 and Nov 9, 2009 on the beating up of two Naga students and the molestation of a Naga girl. The bitterness and suspicion between the mainland Indians and Nagas in Indian cities easily triggers new conflicts contributing to the alienation.
In Nagaland, Christian groups and civil society groups such as the Naga Mothers Association, Naga Hoho, Naga Baptist Church Council, the Gaonbura and Dobashi association, Naga Students Federation and Naga Christian Fellowship have vainly tried time and again to bring the warring Naga groups to reconcile with each other. However, in 2009, all the peace efforts seemed to be making some headway. The State Police recorded a total of 12 factional killings as contrasted with a total of 300 in the previous years (source: Comparative Crime Statistics for the year 2006, 2007, 2008 up to 15th dec, 2009. Nagaland Police) give the source of the statistics.
With killings on the decline and the active efforts of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) group, there seemed to be a flickering light in the horizon. The Nagas were hopeful that the quest for lasting peace in these long-troubled, tear-sodden hills of home was in sight. The Reconciliation team is made up of apex tribal bodies and organizations and has been very active for the last 36 months of its life. Led by Dr Wati Aier, the FNR brought the NSCN IM and the NSCN K to sign a "Covenant of Reconciliation" declaration where both parties promised to pursue Naga reconciliation and forgiveness.
Though there have been a few hiccups, the forum is still maintaining course and found support from the international Baptist World Alliance which consists of 120 nations. The BWA which met in Kuala Lumpur in July 2011 passed a resolution supporting the Naga reconciliation process (report carried in The Morung Express July 9, 2011). The FNR's appeal to the Naga public makes the search for peace a community responsibility.
This book is not meant to be read as a history textbook. For the purpose of reading about the history of the Naga struggle, researchers should read comprehensive books on the topic for example, The Naga Chronicle, The Naga Saga, Nagaland File and Naga identities and The Naga resistance. This book is not about the leaders and heroes of the Naga struggle. It is about the ordinary people whose lives were completely overturned by the freedom struggle. Because the conflict is not more important than the people who are its victims.

NPF entry to Manipur is to defeat Ibobi: Dr. Shürho Nagaland Post

Naga People’s Front(NPF) president Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsü said the forthcoming assembly elections in Manipur in January 2012 would be a referendum on whether Nagas live united as a family.

Speaking at an interaction with various tribal hohos and United Naga Council(UNC) at the NPF Manipur unit office here today, Dr Shürhozelie,who is also Nagaland minister of Urban Development and Higher & Technical Education said no one could stop Nagas from living together and reminded that the forthcoming assembly election was an opportunity for Nagas in Manipur to decide.

He asserted that NPF was for good relationship with various communities, political parties and organsations both underground and overground but asserted that no one would be allowed to dictate terms upon Nagas. Dr Shürhozelie revealed that the main purpose of the NPF was to defeat incumbent Okram Ibobi Singh.

He urged all Naga organizations and church to support NPF candidates in the forthcoming polls.
He said NPF in Manipur has received applications from candidates for 14 assembly seats while there was no ticket aspirant from Kuki dominated areas. He however said NPF could make some seat adjustments with other political parties in Kuki dominated areas.

Earlier, speaking to 55 out of 56 NPF ticket aspirants at Taphou Naga village Senapati, the NPF president said the party would contest the polls in Manipur for the first time and expressed the hope that voters would make wise decision.

He said NPF was the oldest regional party in the region and the only one out of 700 recognised political parties which Nagas need to be proud of. Dr. Shürhozelie said the entry of NPF to Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh was in the light of the four resolutions passed by the Nagaland assembly on the issue of integration of Naga inhabited areas.

He said out of Manipur total area of 22,327 sq Km , the ratio of land area of Nagas vis-à-vis Meteis was 9:1 and which has sparked fears among the latter.

He said there were 20 assembly seats in hill areas of Manipur and if all tribals unite they could become a tremendous force he said. Dr Shürhozelie asked other communities in the Hill areas of Manipur to seriously think about it as tribals could be a formidable force to exert their rights over Meitei domination.

Altogether 55 out of the total 56 aspiring candidates including two women who had applied for NPF party ticket from 14 different assembly constituencies of Manipur attended today’s function. All aspiring candidates made a public pledge to remain loyal to the NPF party’s ideologies and support those who would eventually get party tickets