Dimapur, May 07: Expressing serious concern over the deterioration of law and order situation in Nagaland, in particular the commercial hub Dimapur, following unabated factional violence, 22 Naga Students' Unions under the banner of Naga Students' Federation (NSF) have jointly appealed to all Naga underground factions to shun the path of fratricidal killings and hold a "straight forward heart to heart open dialogue" among them.

A hard-hitting joint statement, the first since resurgence of violence, pointed out that the "situation in our society today is not at all the path to freedom".

The statement made it clear that against the background of total disregard of human lives and victimization of the innocent including students, "people cannot afford to give allegiance or pay excessive taxes to a number of Naga National Governments".

"National worker who kills, murders, intimidates and extorts his own people are not qualified to be called as nationalists.

Only mere pseudo-nationalist would commit such acts", said the statement.

The statement reminded that a "Free Naga Republic" could never be built on the foundation laid on bloodshed, tears, hate and animosity of "our own people".

Stating that the Naga generation deserved a future, the statement insisted that the future should be based on unity and integrity of the Nagas as a people and not on the basis of tribalism, factionalism and division.

Therefore, they said violence in the Naga family must cease.

The statement warned that NSF, being the apex students' union of the Nagas, would no more remain mute to violent acts and that it would not accept the justification of any faction in the matter of violence against own people.

The Nagas will not allow their genuine movement to be exploited for personal and tribal self-image above the larger Naga national principles and interest, the statement said, adding "Much damage is committed in reducing our noble cause into a cheap struggle.

Perhaps, the nobility of our struggle is reduced to an embarrassing state".

The statement lashed out at the Nagaland government for "terribly failing" on the law and order front and urged it to formulate effective measures in order to curb incidents of harassment and intimidation by the "so-called guardian of law protection force of the State".