The National Socialist Council of Nagalim, better known as the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, has slammed the Manipur government for seeking to shift its camps to adjoining Nagaland.
Most members of the NSCN (IM) are from the Tangkhul community inhabiting Kamjong and Ukhrul districts of Manipur, but the extremist group has its peace headquarters near Dimapur in Nagaland.
The Manipur government on Wednesday requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to make the NSCN (IM) immediately vacate “unauthorised” camps “mushrooming” in the State.
In the letter, Manipur’s Chief Secretary J. Suresh Babu cited instances of civil society organisations providing relief to the NSCN (IM) cadres at such camps in Chandel and Senapati districts. He also pointed out that the ceasefire inked with the outfit in 1997 did not extend to Manipur.
Reacting to this move, the NSCN (IM) insisted that the “Indo-Naga ceasefire” and the peace process “covers all Naga territories. One of the outfit’s goals is the unification of all Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar besides Nagaland.
“This spirit has guided the 22 years of the Indo-Naga political talks throughout. It was this mutual understanding and respect that has carried the talks this far,” said a statement issued from the group’s headquarters.
The NSCN (IM) also took a swipe at Manipur-based social organisations for their relentless “spiteful” campaigns against it and the Nagas in general when the world was fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Manipur government and the political leaders of the State should exercise caution and restrain themselves from giving out any irresponsible statement to provoke the Nagas,” the NSCN (IM) said, hoping the peace process would bring lasting peace to the northeast.
