Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, November 27:
The NSCN(K) has once against disowned the Tangkhuls as Nagas and described the community as chameleons.
Accusing the Tangkhuls of causing political setbacks to the Nagas and splitting them with "cruel instinct", it charged the Tangkhul leaders, including Th Muivah and Timothy Tangkhul, of playing Jekyll and Hyde with the Nagas.
"The Tangkhuls are the elder brothers of the Meiteis as both accepted through history and existence.
They (Tangkhuls) also never sided with the Nagas nor claimed to be Nagas prior to the 1964 cease-fire agreement.
When they (Tangkhuls) failed to co-exist with their younger brothers (Meiteis), they claimed to be Nagas which they are not", a statement issued by I Bendyng Jamir, under-secretary, ministry of information and publicity GPRN, said.
While bilateral cease-fire between the Issak group and the government of India began in 1997, Th Muivah promised the moon to the Nagas, but nothing such came by the statement said blaming Th Muivah for insisting on and agreeing to a cease-fire throughout Naga-inhabited areas.
The NSCN considered as a 'good turning point' when Muivah said he would back out if his demand (extension of the cease-fire to Manipur) was rejected.
Today, the GoI has rejected his demand and Muivah has landed himself in a moral dilemma, As a leader, he should keep his words and "wean away" like a gentleman, the statement also said, asking Muivah to stop forthwith making "hypnotic" statements from foreign soil from the reach of GoI.
Charging the Tangkhuls of causing divisions among the Nagas for their own advantage, the GPRN statement accused former DC of Tuensang district, Ramkathing Tangkhul, of splitting Nagas by dividing the Patkai hills of Nagas between India and Myanmar.
Ramyo Tankhul hastily signed the Shillong Accord in 1975 despite insistence of Kughato Sukhai, the PM of FGN, not to sign any political agreement with India, arid betrayed the Nagas into the hands of India, said the statement.
"VS Atem Tangkhul sought the help of Indian army stationed at Rangapahar to slaughter Naga national leaders.
Former chief minister of Manipur, Rishang Keishing, another Tangkhul, went to New Delhi with a message 'not an inch of land that belongs to Meiteis will be compromised'.
How can a supposed Naga negate the aspirations of the Nagas if he were ever a Naga?", the statement said.