Cost of Indo-Naga war $ 23,568,333,334: NISC
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 12 2014 : Naga International Support Centre (NISC) has estimated the cost of of the Indo-Naga War over the last 60 years as US dollar twenty-three and half a billion eighty six million ($23,568,333,334) or Rs 1,390,100,000,000 in Indian currency.

In a statement made available to the press, NISC said that till date the Government of Indiahas not released official figures about the war it unleashed on Naga Peoples since 1954.Since then neither the reasons for the start and perpetuating this war were made public, nor has the GOI made known publicly any policy on how to end it.

Officially, other than media reports, this means the Indian electorate does not know about the Indo-Naga war.

Absence of policies also means that the Government of India cannot be held accountable; not only for the unaccounted loss of life but also for the exorbitant sums of taxpayer's money spent on the seemingly endless war.

Due to the acknowledged sovereignty of India the International Community judged the Indo-Naga War a domestic war.

But the NISC holds the United Nations responsible for not honoring the Naga Declaration of Independence it received in 1947 which motivated India to forcibly incorporate the Naga Nation, the statement said.

It went on to day that conservatively calculated cost of Indo-Naga war shows what India did in the name of the Indian public without informing its people thus depriving them of the means to check on motivation and cost of this 60-year old war.

According to the estimate of NISC, over the last 60 years, Government of India has spent an unaccounted amount of Rs 1,390,100,000,000 or US dollar 23,168,333,334 plus $400,000,000 ( $23.568.333.334) on salaries, food, housing infrastructures and other military quarters, mobility and weaponry, etc.

This estimate is without the allowances paid to soldiers for serving in dangerous areas, for duty in mountains, etc.

"With this conservatively calculated estimate NISC wants to inspire and even dare the Indian, International Press, Media political organizations and parties, research institutes and more to research and investigate the actual cost of war so the Indian people will know how their money is spent.

Though now an estimate only the total amount of public money spent on the Indo-Naga War is mind-blowing, especially when one thinks of what this money could have done to alleviate the approximately 350 million poorest of the poor of India," the statement added.

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