Burmese junta divides Naga homeland: NSCN

The NSCN (IM) which is into a dialogue for peace with the government of India since August 1, 1997, monitored by its Ministry of Information and Publicity (MIP), has published a book titled Naga Homeland in Danger: The politics of Constitution making in Myanmar (Burma).

Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman of the NSCN-IM, formally released the book from its general headquarters in Hebron near Nagaland's commercial capital Dimapur during the first day's session of the Joint Council meeting of the Government of People's Republic of Nagalim on July 4, sources said.

The book release function was attended by Thuingaleng Muivah, the General Secretary of the NSCN-IM, along with other top officials of the outfit.

Giving a vivid account of the plight of the Nagas in Eastern Nagalim under Burma, divided by British imperialists from Western Nagalim in total violation of Nagas' right to live as one political body, the book claims that the manner of exploitation of the Nagas is nothing but unfair and inhuman "as the boundary is made to run through villages, fields and even homes."

The Naga community living on the Indian side used to call those who live across the international boundary in Burma as eastern Nagas.

These eastern Nagas used to visit their neighbours in Manipur's Ukhrul as well as Nagaland's border district during annual festivals. In Manipur, they visit during the time of Naga's seed sowing festival Lui-Ngai Ni which falls on February 15 every year.

"The political plight of the Nagas and the gross injustice done to the Nagas by successive governments in Myanmar (Burma) can no longer be tolerated by the Nagas in general and the NSCN in particular," said a press release issued by the outfit's Ministry of Information and Publicity, while informing that this is the reason why it had brought out the book to expose to the whole world what the military junta is doing to further divide the Naga homeland.

"This book is meant to drive home the point that the world should no longer remain silent to the act of treacherous imposition by slicing away Nagas' land in the guise of creating a Naga state but which excludes most important townships and mineral-rich areas," the statement of the outfit further said.

The book also exposes the condition of Eastern Nagalim under the coercive control of the Burmese military junta, which commits excessive human rights violations. Further the book points to the dirty politics or game plan of drafting a new constitution putting the Nagas at the receiving end, the MIP release said.

"In the storm of controversy is the National Convention. What exactly is the National convention? Find out from the book and its implication on the Nagas," it added.