May 07, 2012

Nagalim: Commemoration Brings Demand For Rights


On the anniversary of the death of two Nagas who perished while demonstrating peacefully, several Naga organizations gathered to pay their respect and ponder about their struggle for their rights.

Below is an article published by the Morung Express:

Several people today thronged the Martyrs’ Park near Mao Gate to pay respect and honour to Late Neili Chakho and Dikho Loshuo who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Nagas two years back on May 6. Observing the 2nd death anniversary of martyrdom here, several leaders from Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, United Naga Council, Naga People Movement for Human Rights, Mao Council, Naga Women Union, Manipur, Mao Naga Women Welfare Association etc spoke on the occasion and paid respect to the duo who laid down their lives for the cause of Nagas. 
Late Neli Chakho and Late Dikho Loshuo were shot dead while many civilian mostly women injured when the combined force of Indian Reserved Force and Manipur state police commandos and Manipur Rifles resorted to unprovoked firing at the peaceful agitators on this day two years ago at Mao gate.

United Naga Council (UNC) President L. Adani said “it is a day when we come together to rekindle the spirit with Chakho and Loshou faced the bullets of the adversaries. They died because they would not take injustice and brutality lying down.”

Adani said they gave their all for the rights of a people, their identity, their aspirations and for a future of their people that can be lived with honour and dignity. “The sacrificing spirits of these two martyrs made them heroes and we are all proud to be gathered here around their graves, which stands to symbolize our struggle before the world,” he said.

He also said that although there has been seemingly many developments and changes since the fateful day of 6th May, 2010, “the material conditions in our collective life remains the same.” 
“The same suppression of our rights, the same discrimination, the same manipulation, the same inequality in opportunities, the same opposition to our inherent right to live together in dignity and honour, the same objections to our political aspirations for real political empowerment- they continue unabated and may be in more greater measure albeit more subtly and camouflaged,” he said.

“While the odds and challenges are huge and seem insurmountable, we cannot and will not give up the struggle for an alternative arrangement that is outside the system that is programmed and engineered to make us exist without identity, political empowerment, dignity and honour,” Adani said adding that the youth and students of today, to whom the future belong will not take it nor will their younger brothers and sisters accept such fate in resignation. “The future remains the same if we do not struggle unitedly.”

UNC President also informed that the movement for securing an alternative arrangement outside the Government of Manipur has been registered in history with the process of the democratic process of tripartite talk of the GoI, GoM and the Nagas in Manipur under the aegis of UNC. The GoI has been urged in the 2nd week of April 2012 for resumption of the dialogue process.
“We would inform our people of the need to be prepared for what could happen in the days to come, depending on the response of the GoI and the GoM with regard to taking forward the process already put in place,” Adani added.

Former UNC President and convenor of the committee for alternative arrangement, Paul Leo recalled that the combined force of the IRB and Manipur police commandos had unleased hails of bullets, stunt bomb and tear gas on the innocent civilian who were staging a peaceful rally to protest the Manipur government decision to obstruct the proposed visit of the NSCN-IM leader Th Muivah to his home town in Ukhrul district after getting the sanctioned from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India two years ago.

He however, regretted that the GoI failed to rein on the Ibobi government of Manipur who had started the fire but deploying the state force in all the entry point to the state to prevent the proposed visit of the NSCN leader.

Nagas don’t want any more confrontation or wage war against anybody or government. Fifteen years of ceasefire and negotiation has proved enough, he said and said that it want to send a clear message to the GoI that the latter should not play dirty politics with the Nagas and stopped the divide and rule policies and wearing the Naga revolution. 

Time has come for all of us to recommit ourselves and to rekindle the flame of our revolution and reminded that the sacrifice made by the two young hero has amplified that forceful union of the communal government of Manipur have to stop and it must go for mutual neighbourhood.
Representative of the NPMHR, while saluting the brave sacrifices made by the young students termed the day as a historic and Nagas have displayed that it is not the GoI or any other but it is the Nagas who should decide their future. 

ANSAM President Kumu Sha while paying rich tribute to the two martyrdom late Neli Chakho and late Dikho Loshuo said their sacrifices will not be the last but many more has to sacrifice. 
Neikhrolo Khalo, Assistant General Secretary, Naga Hoho said that said that the Nagas gathered on the occasion with a heavy heart as two brothers were mercilessly killed and hundreds of innocent were tortured and injured in the hands of the joint force of Manipur government two years back on the same day. They have given their life for the betterment of our future and their sacrifice will be remembered in the history of the Naga struggle.

He also urged the gathering thousands of Nagas to retrospect the past mistakes and forgive each others. There’s no point of going back but we must contribute what we can contribute to the Naga society and marched forward, he said and reminded that we remember the bitter sacrifices the two young brothers had made and renew our strength and our struggle.

Heni Chakho, President Mao Council said that the two had sacrificed not for themselves but for the cause of the Nagas and urged the Naga leaders to observe the day in a befitting manner to foster unity amongst the Nagas. He further urged the Nagas to renew and recommit themselves for the common cause of the Nagas. 

Meanwhile, in a reaffirmation made during the 2nd anniversary of martyrdom today, it stated that today we remember and honour late Neli Chakho and Late Dikho Loshou whose youthful and promising lives were abruptly cut short by the bullets of the armed police of the communal government of Manipur and also the hundreds of women and men who are subjected to inhuman police brutality at Mao Gate, two years back.

It said the day witnessed yet again the trampling of our rights as a people. “But as always, we have refused to be cowed down by violent suppressions. On this second anniversary, as we pay our respects to the martyred students and other victims of police atrocities of that day, we also manifest our unwavering commitment to the world for an immediate alternative arrangement outside the Government of Manipur, pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue.”

The reaffirmation also stated that the 6th May, 2010 horror at Mao gate rings out the unmistakable facts that calls for severance of ties with the Government of Manipur. “We are not safe- our land is not safe, our culture and traditional practice is not safe, our democratic aspiration as a people is not safe, our dignity and honour is not safe, our future is not safe- all that matters to the human person and to our people are not safe in the hands of the communal Government of Manipur.”
It said that the Naga people in Manipur will hold steadfast to the conviction and commitment demonstrated by late Loshou and Chakho who gave their all for the future and the rights of their people. “Their sacrifices will continue to inspire us and strengthen us in our struggle. We shall indeed overcome.”