NSCN-IM criticises Patil's remark
Kohima,
Aug
09:
The
Nationalist
Socialist
Council
of
Nagalim
(NSCN-IM)
has
criticised
the
remark
made
by
Union
Home
Minister
Shivraj
Patil
during
the
recent
Indo-Naga
peace
talks
in
Bangkok,
where
it
was
decided
to
extend
the
cease-fire
for
another
year.
In
a
release
here
today,
the
outfit's
Joint
Secretary
of
the
Ministry
of
Information
and
Publicity
(MIP)
Ghukato
outright
rejected
Patil's
remark
branding
the
NSCN/Nagas
in
line
with
terrorist
modules.
'Never
have
we
terrorized
anyone
but
only
struggled
against
the
Government
of
India
for
suppressing
our
inalienable
rights
to
live
as
a
people,''
Ghukato
said.
He
said
Patil's
statement
of
reference
to
the
Nagas
in
line
with
other
modules
of
terrorist
organizations
elsewhere
in
India
reflects
their
evaluation
of
the
Naga
people's
identity,
dishonouring
the
Centre's
earlier
recognition
and
agreed
terms
that
enabled
both
the
sides
to
embark
on
a
truce
and
bilateral
permanent
peace
initiative
with
reciprocal
respect.
Reminding
that
the
Naga
people
had
agreed
to
enter
into
talks
with
the
Centre
only
after
it
accepted
the
facts
of
Naga
historical
struggle
for
self-determination,
he
said
the
Centre
had
admitted
and
declared
Naga
issue
as
a
political
one
and
not
an
internal
law
and
order
problem,
lifting
of
the
ban
on
NSCN
and
excluding
it
from
the
list
of
terrorists,
acceptance
of
unique
Naga
history,
situation
and
conditions
of
the
talks
firmly
based
on
unconditional
terms
at
the
highest
level
and
in
a
third
country.
Ghukato
said
Patil's
remark
came
at
a
time
when
both
the
parties
are
focused
on
issues
to
find
a
solution
to
the
impasse,
the
NSCN-IM
asked
the
Centre
if
it
was
really
sincere
and
committed
in
resolving
the
Indo-Naga
political
issue.
UNI
Comments
Story first published: Wednesday, August 9, 2006, 15:31 [IST]