Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, June 29:
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has strongly condemned the recent statement issued by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), accusing it of attempting to divert attention from what it described as the “cold-blooded abduction, torture and murder” of six innocent Naga civilians. The Federation asserted that the focus must remain on securing justice for the victims rather than promoting what it termed “divisive narratives.”
In a strongly worded press statement jointly signed by NSF President Eno Mteisuding and General Secretary Eno Kenilo Kent, the Federation rejected the KZC’s remarks in their entirety, stating that they neither advanced accountability nor addressed the brutality of the killings that have left the bereaved families awaiting justice.
The Federation also took strong exception to the use of the term “Kacha Naga” in the KZC statement, describing it as derogatory and an affront to the identity of the indigenous Naga people. It alleged that attempts to classify Nagas into different regional categories were part of a long-standing effort to fragment Naga unity and weaken the collective identity of the Naga nation.
Reaffirming that the Naga homeland predates present-day political boundaries, the NSF maintained that no artificial frontier could alter the shared history, identity and destiny of the Naga people. It cautioned organisations and individuals against becoming instruments of narratives that seek to divide the Nagas and undermine their political aspirations.
The Federation further stated that while the Naga people have historically extended hospitality and peaceful coexistence to various communities residing across the Naga homeland, such goodwill should not be exploited to undermine the rights, dignity and identity of the indigenous inhabitants.
Describing the killing of the six civilians as a grave humanitarian tragedy, the NSF said the issue was not about competing political narratives but about justice for innocent lives lost. It asserted that no expression of regret could erase the alleged abduction, torture, murder and desecration of the victims’ bodies.
The Federation demanded that every individual responsible for the killings, including members of what it termed “armed Kuki narco-militant groups” as well as any civilians found, through due legal process, to have participated in or facilitated the crime, be identified, arrested, prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law.
The NSF also urged the Government of India to immediately revoke the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups, alleging that the arrangement had enabled repeated atrocities and human rights violations to occur with impunity.
At the same time, the Federation clarified that the Naga people seek peaceful coexistence with the Government of India and neighbouring communities based on mutual respect, justice and recognition of historical and political rights. It maintained that lasting peace in the region could only be achieved through truth, accountability and an honourable political resolution to the long-standing Indo-Naga political issue.
Reiterating its solidarity with the families of the six slain civilians, the NSF pledged to continue its pursuit of justice until all those responsible are held accountable, declaring that “their pain is the pain of every Naga, and their demand for justice is the demand of every Naga.”
