The Akhoya Village Council has expressed support for the Ungma Senso MongdangAMP and Ao Senden’s demand for withdrawal of what it described as derogatory remarks made by NSCN-IM leaders V.S. Atem and R.H. Raising against former Nagaland chief minister and prominent Naga political leader Dr. S.C. Jamir.
In a press release issued on September 27, the council said it shared the concerns raised by Ungma, describing the village as the “original village of our forefathers”. It also expressed solidarity with the decision to seek withdrawal of the remarks and disengagement of public cooperation from the NSCN-IM leadership.
The council called on Naga political leaders to exercise restraint and avoid making individuals “a scapegoat for one’s own failures”, while acknowledging what it described as collective shortcomings in fulfilling the political aspirations of the Naga people.
“It is time that every Naga political leader seeks forgiveness from God as well as its people and be forgiven each other,” the council stated.
The council also criticised state legislator Achumbemo Kikon for what it described as “mindlessly” insulting Jamir, whom it credited as one of the architects of Nagaland state.
Urging Kikon to be more sensitive to the history and realities of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the council said young politicians should present their views with greater consideration for the future interests of the Naga people.