KYKL pays homage to Khaplang
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 10 2017: The banned outfit KYKL has condoled the demise of NSCN-K Chairman SS Khaplang.

SS Khaplang, called 'Baba' with love and respect by the suppressed people of the region was an eminent revolutionary lead-er, KYKL Chairman N Oken remarked in a statement.

After around 10 years since AZ Phizo declared war against India, SS Khap-lang set up the Naga Defen- ce Force (NDF) in 1964 followed by the Eastern Naga- land Revolutionary Council (ENRC) in 1965 .

He became the President of Naga Federal Government (FGN) in 1978 before taking the post of NSCN Vice-Chairman in 1980 .

When NSCN split into NSCN-IM and NSCN-K, Khaplang became the latter's Chairman.

He was also the Chairman of the Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front (IBRF) which was set up in 1990 by several revolutionary groups of the region with the primary agenda of waging the liberation movement collectively.

It was again under the leadership of SS Khaplang that the United Liberation Front of WESEA (UNLFW) was formed in 2015 with a similar objective of fighting India collectively, Oken said.

Even though a cease fire agreement was signed on April 27, 2001 at the promise of India that an honourable solution would be worked out to the Indo-Naga political conflict, the same agreement kept the Naga political movement in doldrums.

Later SS Khaplang realised that the cease fire agreement was a cunning strategy of the Government of India aimed at push the Naga political movement to natural death.

Subsequently, NSCN-K abrogated the ceasefire agreement unilaterally, and thereby gave a new direction to the revolutionary movements of WESEA.

SS Khaplang was one revolutionary leader who advocated unity among the revolutionary groups of WESEA and collective struggle.

He strongly believed that the existing issue of ethnic boundary which stemmed from ethnic nationalism should not be allowed to fester.

Regarding Meitei-Naga relation, Khaplang asserted that the two communities can never be separated.

Separation of the two communities would strengthen India and weaken the revolutionary movement.

Khaplang espoused that any conspiracy to upset Meitei-Naga relation should be resisted collectively.

The demise of Baba Khaplang has left an irreparable vacuum in the revolutionary movement of the region but his ideas about unification and collective struggle will live on, Oken asserted.

He also conveyed solidarity to the bereaved family of SS Khaplang.

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