GUWAHATI: Even as centre is giving the final shape to a peace accord with six rebel groups in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, NSCN (IM) on Monday stated that any agreement that goes against the Rengma Naga inhabitants of the district “would not be acceptable” to it and the Nagas in general.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma last week had announced that the Karbi Anglong peace accord is expected to be signed anytime in the current week.
NSCN (IM) in a statement said that the government of India and the Assam government were finalizing the proposal to create Karbi-Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) in Karbi Anglong, which it called “an agreement to appease the six rebel outfits like Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCKL), United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA) and three factions of Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT).” The NSCN (IM), which is holding dialogue with central government for two decades now, cautioned authorities from going against the interests of the Rengma Nagas, “who are the legitimate owners of the land under the questionable proposition,” and underlined that the Rengma issue in Assam constitutes one of the important agendas of Indo-Naga political talks pending final decision.
“Given the sensitive situation in the light of the proposed KAATC, NSCN put on record that it would not accept alienation of Nagas’ ancestral land which is tantamount to undermining the spirit of the Indo-Naga political talks,” it warned.
It added that land alienation is the major point of conflict in the Northeast, particularly Assam and Nagaland.
They also said that there can be little doubt that this is the creation of history under colonial rule.
The issue in focus is Karbi Anglong, erstwhile known as Rengma Hills.
Rengma Hills are made the victims of aggressive influx of outsiders for vested interests.