A child in traditional attire in Dimapur during the Sumi Tuluni festival. Picture by UB Photos
Kohima, July 12 : Sumi Hoho, the apex organisation of the Sumi Nagas of Zunheboto district, has expressed dismay that NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu was not able to participate in the Tuluni festival held at Zunheboto town on Friday.
Hoho president H. Hesso said the people had questioned the credibility of Sumi Hoho over non-participation of Swu in the festival.
Sumi Hoho, which organising the festival, had invited Swu and the general secretary of NSCN (Khole-Kitovi), Kitovi Zhimomi. Swu, however, failed to turn up, citing talks with central leaders in New Delhi.
“The public has questioned the credibility of Sumi Hoho officials,” Hesso said. He said Swu had assured the Sumi people on two occasions — on October 22, 2010 in Bangkok and May 25 and 26 this year in Delhi that he would visit Zunheboto, his home district.
“However his failure to participate is very unfortunate and deeply regretted,” the Hoho president said.
Asked whether Swu’s last minute inability to come was due to excommunication of Sumi cadres of the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) by the last tenure of Sumi Hoho, alleging that they were against unification of Naga factions, Hesso said no one could alienate anyone from “our country (the unrecognised nation Nagalim)”.
He said now people who were making high rhetorics on Naga unification had also been divided. He was apparently making a reference to the recent split of the NSCN (Khaplang).
“Even they have split,” he added.
In November 2007, some members of the NSCN (I-M) led by Azheto Chophy, former kilo kilonser (home minister), had decamped with arms and ammunition and joined the NSCN (K) declaring that the NSCN (I-M) and the NSCN (K) had unified into one NSCN.
The last tenure of Sumi Hoho led by president Hokishe Yeptho supported the so called unification move and decided to excommunicate all Sumi cadres of the NSCN (I-M).
Hesso said he had received an email from Swu citing the reasons for his not coming this time — parleys with the Indian policymakers to hammer out a solution to the Naga political issue.
“He had told me that talks have reached a crucial stage of discussion,” he said.