NSCN (I-M) asserted that the history of Naga political struggle and the ongoing “Indo-Naga” political talk was “a living testimony” that the present Nagaland state was the “brainchild of a few treacherous Nagas” that showed up in the name of Naga People’s Convention (NPC) hijacking the Naga issue without the concern of the “bona fide freedom fighters.”
NSCN (I-M) through its MIP stated that Intelligence Bureau (IB) was “at its divisive game” after getting hold of a few Nagas especially government employees “to join the bandwagon, taking the name as NPC.”
NSCN (I-M) said that the Convention without the consent, support and participation of the Naga people arrived at an agreement called the 16 Points Agreement that was responsible for the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian Union.
“This fragmented the Indian-occupied Naga territories by placing them into different administrative units of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh,” it stated.
However, NSCN (I-M) stated that creation of Nagaland state failed to stop the political aspirations of the Naga people, who “set off the political struggle with greater passion and determination as testified by the ongoing struggle.”
For the Nagas, NSCN (I-M) said the creation of Nagaland state “as a result of manipulation and treachery” has been recorded as “an act of insult to the freedom fighters” in particular and to the Naga people in general.
“For such a treacherous act being brought to live in the name of commemorating the formation of Nagaland state we condemn such an act of defiance,” NSCN (I-M) asserted.
Stating that the NPC’s role was thus rejected and condemned by the Naga freedom fighters including AZ Phizo, the NSCN (I-M) said NPC’s 16-Point Agreement sowed the seeds of colonialism and division.
It maintained that Naga people would take the stand never to allow another political hijack to take place when the ongoing “Indo-Naga political talks have already signed the Framework Agreement to nullify any agreements of the past.”
Further, it said that NSCN and Naga people were “fully aware of the divisive extraordinary involvement” of Nagaland state Governor RN Ravi behind “this commemoration program in order to justify his all out efforts to protect the 16 Points Agreement at all costs. Thus, Ravi’s stand is condemned by NSCN and Naga people.”