A statement issues by NISC Monday said that this was “not the first time” that such a thing had happened.
Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement during his recent visit to Imphal, NISC asked what “moved” him to guarantee the integrity of Manipur when “he knew that this was deadly against the reunification of Naga areas.”
Referring to the statement, NISC said the Prime Minister was putting “bomb” under the 14 year-old peace talks between “India and Nagaland”.
Reminding that GoI knew Nagas live “separated through mountains and valleys”, NISC stated that they “are one in spirit where it concerns their nation”. It also asserted that India knew “Nagas do not give up their right to self determination, but fight for it with determination”.
NISC said that GoI “acknowledged” the unique history of the Nagas and that they had no relation with other Indian people “economically, socially, culturally, linguistically nor religiously” under the British or “before their colonial time”.
The press release called on GoI to solve the “long standing conflict” by talking genuinely and “to befriend” the Nagas and other indigenous peoples so a future relationship between the “two nations can be intimate and fruitful, yet independent”.
NISC also urged the GoI to make public its policies on the Northeast in general and on the “Indo-Naga conflict” so that there would be “democratic accountability”. It has called on the government to publish both “human losses” of the Indian armed forces and the “losses inflicted on the Nagas”.
NISC has also demanded the release of all “political prisoners” who have not committed “terrorist crimes but fought for the right to self determination”.