NSCN says it levies legitimate taxes, extortions by groups in guise of freedom fighters
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 27 2020: In an apparent rebuttal to RN Ravi, the Governor of Nagaland and Interlocutor to the peace talk, the NSCN (IM) today said that it did not and does not commit extortion at any point of time but levies legitimate on from the people.

In a statement the outfit said that it is the inherent right of any sovereign people and Nation to collect taxes from the people and commercial establishments.

"This is the universal practice as seen all over the world.

Taxes have been the sources of sustenance that has brought the Naga political movement this far.

"This was legitimately acknowledged by the earlier Interlocutors and Indian authorities and it was never an issue.

What has complicated the situation as seen today is the madness of 'extortions' that are being carried out by some groups in the guise of freedom fighters," it said.

It further said that "any Indian Interlocutor who represents the Government of India needs to prove himself as a man who stands committed to solve the longest political conflict in Southeast Asia.

But if he finds pleasure in handling the Naga issue as a 'law and order' problem he is not the right person to solve the long standing Indo-Naga problem.

"Such an Interlocutor will rather complicate and prolong the process which is not the desire of both the Indians and the Nagas," it said.

In the history of UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) which is the parallel organization to the UN (United Nations) to which NSCN is a bonafide member, no gang has found its place as a member.

Only legitimate political organizations of peoples and Nations are admitted in the fold of UNPO.

Many pseudo-organizations tried to find their way into UNPO but failed to pass the final scrutiny, it added.

Twenty three (23) years of Indo-Naga political talks has come down in the history of the world as the longest period of political negotiations, it said.

Down the line, significant achievement was made.

But the complexity of the issue delayed the process of finalizing the agreement.

Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel got brighter when the historic Framework Agreement was signed on 3rd August, 2015, supervised and guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This agreement recognized the sovereign right of the Naga people on the basis of the unique history of the Nagas and stressed on peaceful co-existence of the two entities sharing sovereign power, it added.

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