DIMAPUR, SEP 26 (NPN): Naga political veteran and former chief minister and governor Dr. SC Jamir has taken strong exception to the statement made against him by NPF secretary general and adviser Achumbemo Kikon. It may be recalled that Kikon in his remarks described Jamir as “an old man in a hurry” while pleading for President’s Rule in Nagaland with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Jamir described Kikon as the young man in desperation “working on behalf of certain masters” who has been “tutored” to discredit him (Jamir).
Jamir said there was a decline in political standards and asserted that such conduct could not be part of Naga culture or the political framework of Nagaland. He urged Kikon to be conscious of the language he used both inside and outside the Assembly. Referring to his meeting with RSS chief on September 10, 2026, Jamir said he had stated that Nagaland needed a “total overhauling” of its governance system and that this could be possible only if the State was brought under President’s Rule for one or two years. Jamir said he was not making a new or extraordinary proposition, pointing out that state legislators, including Kikon and the chief minister, had publicly stated that they would vacate their seats following a political settlement to pave the way for a new political arrangement.
He said his point was that the Government of India should avail of such an opportunity to help restore the “normal health” of the Nagaland government under President’s Rule. He added that he had only referred to the stated positions of Nagaland legislators and various civil society organisations, which, according to him, should be viewed as a positive step towards an early solution to the Naga political issue.
Jamir said he had been in public life long enough and questioned the authority of individuals to decide which Naga was “authorised” to speak on Naga issue. He alleged that Kikon’s remarks reflected the political learning he had received from his “masters” in Hebron, Manipur or Kohima.
He further questioned why a spokesperson of the ruling party had resorted to personal attacks instead of clarifying the party’s position.
Jamir said Kikon was younger than him in age as well as in public life and accused him of being “ill-informed” about the letter written to P. Shilu Ao, which, he said, upheld the sanctity of the constitutional position.
Jamir said the creation of Nagaland followed a political agreement between representatives of the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) and the Prime Minister of India in 1960, while the Interim Body headed by P. Shilu Ao took over the administration of Nagaland in 1961.
He said he was elected by the Interim Body to represent Nagaland in the Lok Sabha and that, as the representative of the people of Nagaland in Parliament in the early 1960s, it was his duty to ensure that the State enjoyed the same status as other states of the country.
Recalling an incident involving former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Naga leader A.Z. Phizo, Jamir said Assam MP Renu Barkakoti had asked whether Nehru was prepared to meet Phizo, who was then in exile in England. He said Nehru’s response was “yes”.
Jamir said he was then sitting behind Nehru as his Parliamentary Secretary and remarked that the Prime Minister’s answer was not correct. He said the remark was reported in newspapers as the Parliamentary Secretary opposing the Prime Minister and that senior Congress leaders subsequently reprimanded him.
According to Jamir, his position was that Nehru could not bypass the elected government of Nagaland on such an important political issue. He said Nehru later called him to his office and asked whether there was anything wrong with his statement.
Jamir said he told Nehru that he should have stated that he was prepared to meet Phizo in consultation with P. Shilu Ao, the Chief Executive Councillor. He said Nehru subsequently contacted Speaker Hukam Singh and corrected his statement accordingly.
Jamir said he later wrote to P. Shilu Ao that he would be prepared, or compelled, to resign if the State was ignored. As an MP, he said, he did not want to “sit as a stooge”.
Responding to Kikon’s reference to former chief minister Hokishe Sema, Jamir said Sema had fully supported him. He also stated that, with the authorisation of the Prime Minister, he personally met A.Z. Phizo from August 3 to 5, 1963, in Bromley, Kent. He said correspondence between Phizo and him was available.
Referring to 1957, Jamir said it was a “momentous year” when, based on a resolution passed at the first NPC, the Nagas of the Naga Hills of Assam and the Tuensang Frontier Division unanimously resolved to have a separate Naga homeland, known as the Naga Hills-Tuensang Area, which was later christened Nagaland.
He questioned references to “southern Nagas”, asking where they were at that time and why there had been hesitation. He said these questions should be answered by those who claimed that he had no authority to speak.
Jamir said life had given him enough and that he would prefer to “forget and forgive”, even as some people tried to hurt him.
“At this age, I may still expect people younger to me in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, or even Ukhrul and Tuensang, to show me some dignity,” he said, adding that he was democratic enough to sit and argue with those who disagreed with him.
Jamir concluded by saying: “Do not be a minister of silence or an advisor of false propaganda.”
Sunday, September 27, 2026