Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (India) and Naga Students’ Organisation (Myanmar), in pursuance of their joint declaration dated July 15, 2016, have reiterated their “utmost resentment” against border fencing and described the move as “repeating a historical wrong upon the Nagas”. In a joint press release, ENSF general secretary, Honang M Jessuhu, and NSO president, T. Mankhat Konyak, stated that Nagas along with their inherited land was an undeniable “natural barrier”, which had stood firm safeguarding the sovereignty of both India and Myanmar since time immemorial.
Joint students’ forum of ENSF and NSO said that such barrier should be honoured, adding that the “concept/question of concrete wall or even imaginary line should not be diluted upon it which might endanger its own sovereignty instead.”
The forum urged both government of India and government of Myanmar to divert their “cruel investment” on border fencing and utilise the same on education, health and development.
Highlighting the “historical and traditional rights of the people”, the forum said every single Naga village had survived “self independently” since time immemorial. In fact, the forum said that the code of law that governed its existence was purely in a republicanism form, adding that encroachment or disaffiliation of its land was totally unthinkable.
The joint forum affirmed that the Naga villages at the border inherit their land that cannot be either encroached upon or be seceded through “any treacherous force”. In this regard, the ENSF and NSO urged New Delhi and Naypyidaw to immediately “reconsider its so-called imaginary line that runs through the heart and the soul of the Nagas.” Reminding that the ENSF and NSO without any bias had appealed the government (India and Myanmar) as well as the NSCN/GPRN (Khaplang) to be sincere in delivering peace and tranquillity, the forum, however, said that to their “utmost dismay”, the pleas were totally disregarded and the “aspiration of its countrymen was left unaccounted and shattered.”
Today, the joint forum said it was “shocked to see the self made insincere attitude and its doctored consequences/situation as fingered upon.”
Further, asserting that the Nagas and their soil (natural barrier) had been “divinely ordained and fortified”, the forum said its peaceful existence should hence be “honoured and worshipped by both India and Burma.” It cautioned that any act or moves to segregate the peace loving Nagas would be “creating a self inflicted curse instead.”
Terming as “undemocratic act of cruelty” the move to segregate the Naga families through border fencing initiated by the Myanmar government, the joint forum asked “on the contrary, can New Delhi declare its uncontaminated mind on this issue when after huge funding have been plunged at Naypyidaw?”
The joint forum said Nagas might not be happy if such undemocratic act was inflicted upon its soil and suggested that if at all such move was included in its diplomatic talks, then it should be rectified at the earliest. Affirming that it cannot compromise on such infliction that permanently segregates its land and its people, the ENSF and NSO stated that funding or investment on either side should be primarily focused or be invested on the development of road infrastructure, health, education and economy of the Nagas living on either side instead.
Meanwhile, ENSF and NSO have appealed to New Delhi and Naypyidaw to “immediately stop such cruel moves” and expedite governmental talks for peace and development through investment in all those Naga inhabited area.
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