The Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD) and Dimapur Ao Youth Organisation (DAYO) have rejected recent remarks by NSCN (I-M) leaders questioning former Nagaland chief minister Dr SC Jamir’s right to speak on the Naga political issue.
In a joint statement, the two organisations said they took “serious note” of the remarks made by NSCN (I-M) leaders VS Atem and RH Raising against Jamir, which were widely reported earlier this week.
Raising had questioned Jamir’s authority to speak on the Naga political issue, saying, “He is not the advocate of the Naga people. We know that from the very beginning.” He also described Jamir as “out and out Indian” and said he had no right to speak on the Naga issue. Atem, meanwhile, questioned whether Jamir was “authorised or mandated” to speak on the issue.
Responding to this, ASTD and DAYO said the Naga political issue should not be reduced to a question of “who has exclusive authority to speak”.
The organisations said Jamir, being a Naga from his native village, had held several elected and constitutional positions, including that of chief minister of Nagaland and governor of several Indian states. They said his record and political positions could be debated, but disagreement with his views did not take away his right to express them.
“The Naga political issue belongs to generations of Nagas, not to one group,” the organisations said, arguing that different political convictions and interpretations of the issue could exist.
They questioned whether “one organisation, one group or one negotiating table” could determine who was sufficiently “Naga” to speak on the issue.
ASTD and DAYO also said the distinction should be made between saying that someone “does not represent our negotiating position” and saying that the person has “no right to speak”.
“Being Indian” and “being Naga”, they said, should not be turned into a political test for determining whether a person can participate in discussions on the Naga political issue.
The statement further said Jamir’s views could be “accepted, rejected or critically examined” by the Naga public, but the decision on how his views should be received should rest with the people rather than any organisation deciding on their behalf.
The organisations called for greater restraint in public discourse on the Naga political issue, saying disagreements should be addressed through “facts, dialogue, history and reason” rather than accusations and denunciations.
They also urged Naga political groups and public leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements, particularly on questions concerning the identity, political rights and voice of individual Nagas.
The statement comes amid renewed public debate over the Naga political issue following Jamir’s recent statements after his meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Jamir has since called for implementation of the Naga political accords and said questions of mandate and advocacy should be left to the people of Nagaland.