Kitovi Zhimomi spoke to North East Sun Executive Editor Deepak Dewan
The Nagas struggle for self determination or the Naga political movement has dominated the insurgency theatre of North East India. Over the decades of political struggle, a trend of leaders breaking away from the main organization and forming their own faction has headlined the Naga issue. The first split happened in 1980 and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was born led by Isak Chishi Swu, Th Muivah and SS Khaplang. Then in 1988, Khaplang broke away from the original NSCN, denounced it and formed another NSCN which came to be identified as NSCN-Khaplang. Sharing SS Khaplang’s ideologies and aspirations then were two major characters of the Naga struggle – Khole Konyak and Kitovi Zhimomi. Twenty three years later in 2011, these two Naga insurgent leaders left Khaplang and on June 7, 2011, the NSCN (Unification) was born. One of the more prominent factions, the NSCN (Unification) entered into ceasefire with the Indian Government on April 27, 2012. General Secretary of NSCN (U), Kitovi Zhimomi was the prime minister of the underground NSCN-K government when he left the organization.
A few weeks before the Naga Peace Accord was signed between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM, Kitovi Zhimomi spoke to North East Sun Executive Editor Deepak Dewan about the reasons behind the split with Khaplang, the Naga political struggle, differences with NSCN-IM chief whip Th Muivah and the aspirations of the Nagas of Nagaland.
NE Sun: Mr. Kitovi, you have been an old associate of Khaplang. When did you join him?
Kitovi: I joined NSCN in 1987 and that time Isak, Muivah and Khaplang were together. After the split in the NSCN in 1988 I remained with Khaplang till 2011.
NE Sun: It’s a long period. But what are the reasons behind you splitting with Khaplang along with General Khole in 2011?
Khitovi: Actually Khaplang was not in favour of Ceasefire right from the beginning but could not resist the pressure of civil society which was spearheaded by the NBCC. At the same time we also tried to convince Khaplang to have Ceasefire in order to have a dialogue with the Government of India. And in 2001 we signed the Ceasefire. After ten years of Ceasefire in 2011 Khaplang had already made up his mind to abrogate the Ceasefire and ordered top functionaries to get inside ‘Burma’ by 30th of July so that he could call for the boycott of the ‘Indian’ Independence day on August 15 in Nagaland. So I immediately being the General Secretary of the Party convened emergency national meeting to deliberate on the issue. The House unanimously impeached Khaplang for taking such drastic decision on his own without taking parliament into confidence. It was on May 7, 2011. We impeached him for displaying doctorial attitude and high handedness. Without taking the Cabinet and parliament into confidence how could he decide the fate of the nation by breaking Ceasefire and start the war? Had he (Khaplang) presented that issue in the parliament before hand, who knows the majority might have supported his decision to abrogate the Ceasefire. But he did not do like that. He just dictated and for that he was impeached on May 7, 2011. We had no other option but to impeach him. We elected Gen Khole who was then the Chief of the army as the Chairman of the Party (NSCN) and I was made the General Secretary.
NE Sun: Why Khaplang decided to break the Ceasefire in 2011? Was he influenced by some other group or by some other country?
Kitovi: As I told you that from the beginning he was not interested in Ceasefire with India. But at the same time he also made some close relations with Myanmar. And at the same time I think he realised that it would be meaningless to have Ceasefire with India because of his Burmese nationality the Government of India will never accept him or have any dialogue with him. That’s why he agreed for the separate Ceasefire with the Myanmar and development package for the Naga areas of Myanmar side. And that agreement was not just the ground rules or something but it was a political agreement.
NE Sun: It is being said that the organisations like ULFA, KLO, PLA, UNLF, KYKL, UNLF and KCP are with him. Is it true?
Kitovi: All are with him (Khaplang). They are in safe heaven. Two years back they formed a new organisation. Their ideology is to fight the common enemy that is India
NE Sun: How can India be Khaplang’s enemy? He is from Myanmar?
Kitovi: You are right. Khaplang does not belong to India but I am sure under the influence of the other groups, especially from the Manipur and Assam he might have succumbed to their policies.
NE Sun: Policies or money?
Kitovi: I can say money because economically Khaplang was in such a horrible condition that it was ULFA and other groups who paid him for sustenance and survival. And he let his people from Burma to work as porters for ULFA and other revolutionaries and collected money for it.
NE Sun: What about the Ceasefire abrogation this year?
Kitovi: He is Right in one sense because he is nobody to have Ceasefire with the Government of India. If wants to have the Ceasefire he should come through the proper channel that is through the Government of Myanmar. On the hand the Government of India also made slight mistake by encouraging Khaplang by having Ceasefire.
NE Sun: How do you view the present situation in Nagaland?
Kitovi: Now we have a new group NSCN (R).
NE Sun: But they are from the same stock you belong to and they are your separated brothers and sisters.
Kitovi: Yes. When we impeached Khaplang in 2011 it was Wangtin who supported and strengthened Khaplang. But this time when Wangtin went to attend the Ceasefire meeting Khaplang instructed his army wing to shoot at the Indian security forces and made Wangtin and Tikhak the scapegoats. If Khaplang was sincere he should have informed his top functionaries like Wangtin beforehand. But he did not do that and demonstrated his true colours and dictatorial approach. Wangtin was compelled to form the new organisation. Now we have three Naga groups. Now IM is in talks with the Government of India for the last 18 years. So far there is no breakthrough. Now the Government of India is also contradicting its own policy and the principle. They say that they (India) are ready to solve any kind of problem through dialogue and negotiations and the same time they say the territorial boundaries will not be changed. Unfortunately Muivah happens to be from Manipur and the Government of India is using Muivah as the chief interlocutor to solve the Naga problem, where as the Nagas of Nagaland have been kept in the dark. Whatever solution is brought about by Muivah, I am very doubtful that Naga people will accept it. Because the Government has ruled out the Naga integration. At any cost Muivah can’t be a part of Nagaland as long as resistance to integration is there.
NE Sun: If you look at IM, Muivah may be from Manipur but Isak Swu is from Nagaland. Similarly the Reformation group’s Wangtin is from Nagaland but Tikhak is from Arunachal Pradesh. If you look at the background, the Nagaland State was created out of an agreement and trouble started when Nagas living outside the Nagaland State were left out. There are more Nagas living outside than the Nagas living inside the Nagaland. That’s why the trouble started.
Kitovi: You rightly said that the Nagaland state was created by a political agreement. There was a clause which kept the provision of Naga contiguous areas to merge with the Nagaland if people desire so. Chiten Jamir was sent to the Naga areas of Manipur to know if they desired to join Nagaland but the people out rightly rejected.
NE Sun: I think there is some confusion here. If you recall in Manipur one Naga political party came up with the name Naga Integration Council which spearheaded the movement to join the contiguous Naga areas and Rishang Keishing even contested election from the same Party and was elected.
Kitovi: Chiten Jamir was sent by the Nagaland Government and SC Jamir is the living witness to this. The 16 Point Agreement came in force and the State was created. The agreement and its provisions were too good for the people of Nagaland. But today it is not sufficient and moreover the Government of India does not seem to be committed to the 16 Point Agreement anymore and they have backtracked from the certain provisions. The Agreement needs to be reviewed from time to time. We are very much concerned about the Nagas living in Manipur. We are not happy when Manipur government humiliates and discriminate them. We want them to a part of us after all we are the same blood and same family. But when there is a boundary and no political Party at Centre is ready to redraw the inter-state boundary. I am talking about the practicality of the issue.
NE Sun: Your group has Ceasefire with the Government of India since 2011. What is your assessment about the Centre’s approach towards the Naga issue?
Kitovi: To my understanding and observation I think that the Government of India is not sincere in resolving the Naga political problem. Time to time they say that they are sincere but are not committed.
NE Sun: Why do you say that the Government is not committed? What makes you feel that?
Kitovi: If they were serious then India should have addressed the core issue to solve the problem.
NE Sun: Recently the Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced in Guwahati that the Government is coming out with solution very soon
Kitovi: Yes, they have a solution to Nagaland by declaring whole state disturbed. That is the solution? Even the Prime Minister had announced in Kohima on December 1, 2014 that solution would come in eighteen months of time. While the people are eagerly waiting for the solution, they have declared the entire State under the disturbed area. They should have deployed the force along the international boundary in the border areas not in the State Capital Kohima or the commercial town like Dimapur.
NE Sun: You said that the Centre should have addressed the core issue. Are you referring to the ongoing talks?
Kitovi: I am talking about the base people, I mean the people of Nagaland. It is the people of Nagaland who want a solution with the Government of India. The government of India should clearly differentiate the problems of the Nagas of Manipur and the problems of the Nagas of Nagaland. Muivah has always spoken against the 16 Point Agreement. Initially Nagas supported Isak and Muivah when they started the talks. Now how can he claim that the people are with him when he has clearly declared that the integration of the contiguous areas at this point is not possible? So, after hearing this we realised that the Government of India will use the same yardstick with us also.
NE Sun: But you are not for integration and you have been saying that you are only for the Nagas of Nagaland. Isn’t it true?
Kitovi: Yes, since the integration has been ruled out we have decided to work for the Nagas of Nagaland.
NE Sun: What do the Nagas of Nagaland want more? They already got the State.
Kitovi: That is not enough. That is not enough even the statehood is not enough. The Government of India is not sincere in implementing the 16 Point Agreement.
NE Sun: Which are the points you have complaints about?
Kitovi: Nagaland was initially under the Ministry of External Affairs.
NE Sun: But that was the earlier arrangement and…
Kitovi: (interrupts) But the document is still alive.
NE Sun: You want Nagaland to be placed under the Ministry of External affairs again?
Kitovi: Yes, very much
NE Sun: What are the other demands?
Kitovi: Nagaland was supposed to be funded by the Centre until and unless it could economically stand by itself but it was withdrawn. We are having thousands of educated youth who are unemployed and the Government of India is not sincere on how to accommodate these educated youth. Our only worry is that if we do not create space to accommodate them, these youth will be compelled to commit crimes out of desperation.
NE Sun: What about the role of the State Government which gets funds for all these?
Kitovi: That is not sufficient for the State Government. It is like giving a toffee to a crying child.
NE Sun: Whatever funds Nagaland is getting from Centre the question here is that whether it is being used properly?
Kitovi: Whether the State government is using funds properly or not I cannot comment on that but the funds they are getting from the Centre is not sufficient. It is not even one quarter portion to serve the Nagas. We have so many domestic problems
The Nagas struggle for self determination or the Naga political movement has dominated the insurgency theatre of North East India. Over the decades of political struggle, a trend of leaders breaking away from the main organization and forming their own faction has headlined the Naga issue. The first split happened in 1980 and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was born led by Isak Chishi Swu, Th Muivah and SS Khaplang. Then in 1988, Khaplang broke away from the original NSCN, denounced it and formed another NSCN which came to be identified as NSCN-Khaplang. Sharing SS Khaplang’s ideologies and aspirations then were two major characters of the Naga struggle – Khole Konyak and Kitovi Zhimomi. Twenty three years later in 2011, these two Naga insurgent leaders left Khaplang and on June 7, 2011, the NSCN (Unification) was born. One of the more prominent factions, the NSCN (Unification) entered into ceasefire with the Indian Government on April 27, 2012. General Secretary of NSCN (U), Kitovi Zhimomi was the prime minister of the underground NSCN-K government when he left the organization.
A few weeks before the Naga Peace Accord was signed between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM, Kitovi Zhimomi spoke to North East Sun Executive Editor Deepak Dewan about the reasons behind the split with Khaplang, the Naga political struggle, differences with NSCN-IM chief whip Th Muivah and the aspirations of the Nagas of Nagaland.
NE Sun: Mr. Kitovi, you have been an old associate of Khaplang. When did you join him?
Kitovi: I joined NSCN in 1987 and that time Isak, Muivah and Khaplang were together. After the split in the NSCN in 1988 I remained with Khaplang till 2011.
NE Sun: It’s a long period. But what are the reasons behind you splitting with Khaplang along with General Khole in 2011?
Khitovi: Actually Khaplang was not in favour of Ceasefire right from the beginning but could not resist the pressure of civil society which was spearheaded by the NBCC. At the same time we also tried to convince Khaplang to have Ceasefire in order to have a dialogue with the Government of India. And in 2001 we signed the Ceasefire. After ten years of Ceasefire in 2011 Khaplang had already made up his mind to abrogate the Ceasefire and ordered top functionaries to get inside ‘Burma’ by 30th of July so that he could call for the boycott of the ‘Indian’ Independence day on August 15 in Nagaland. So I immediately being the General Secretary of the Party convened emergency national meeting to deliberate on the issue. The House unanimously impeached Khaplang for taking such drastic decision on his own without taking parliament into confidence. It was on May 7, 2011. We impeached him for displaying doctorial attitude and high handedness. Without taking the Cabinet and parliament into confidence how could he decide the fate of the nation by breaking Ceasefire and start the war? Had he (Khaplang) presented that issue in the parliament before hand, who knows the majority might have supported his decision to abrogate the Ceasefire. But he did not do like that. He just dictated and for that he was impeached on May 7, 2011. We had no other option but to impeach him. We elected Gen Khole who was then the Chief of the army as the Chairman of the Party (NSCN) and I was made the General Secretary.
NE Sun: Why Khaplang decided to break the Ceasefire in 2011? Was he influenced by some other group or by some other country?
Kitovi: As I told you that from the beginning he was not interested in Ceasefire with India. But at the same time he also made some close relations with Myanmar. And at the same time I think he realised that it would be meaningless to have Ceasefire with India because of his Burmese nationality the Government of India will never accept him or have any dialogue with him. That’s why he agreed for the separate Ceasefire with the Myanmar and development package for the Naga areas of Myanmar side. And that agreement was not just the ground rules or something but it was a political agreement.
NE Sun: It is being said that the organisations like ULFA, KLO, PLA, UNLF, KYKL, UNLF and KCP are with him. Is it true?
Kitovi: All are with him (Khaplang). They are in safe heaven. Two years back they formed a new organisation. Their ideology is to fight the common enemy that is India
NE Sun: How can India be Khaplang’s enemy? He is from Myanmar?
Kitovi: You are right. Khaplang does not belong to India but I am sure under the influence of the other groups, especially from the Manipur and Assam he might have succumbed to their policies.
NE Sun: Policies or money?
Kitovi: I can say money because economically Khaplang was in such a horrible condition that it was ULFA and other groups who paid him for sustenance and survival. And he let his people from Burma to work as porters for ULFA and other revolutionaries and collected money for it.
NE Sun: What about the Ceasefire abrogation this year?
Kitovi: He is Right in one sense because he is nobody to have Ceasefire with the Government of India. If wants to have the Ceasefire he should come through the proper channel that is through the Government of Myanmar. On the hand the Government of India also made slight mistake by encouraging Khaplang by having Ceasefire.
NE Sun: How do you view the present situation in Nagaland?
Kitovi: Now we have a new group NSCN (R).
NE Sun: But they are from the same stock you belong to and they are your separated brothers and sisters.
Kitovi: Yes. When we impeached Khaplang in 2011 it was Wangtin who supported and strengthened Khaplang. But this time when Wangtin went to attend the Ceasefire meeting Khaplang instructed his army wing to shoot at the Indian security forces and made Wangtin and Tikhak the scapegoats. If Khaplang was sincere he should have informed his top functionaries like Wangtin beforehand. But he did not do that and demonstrated his true colours and dictatorial approach. Wangtin was compelled to form the new organisation. Now we have three Naga groups. Now IM is in talks with the Government of India for the last 18 years. So far there is no breakthrough. Now the Government of India is also contradicting its own policy and the principle. They say that they (India) are ready to solve any kind of problem through dialogue and negotiations and the same time they say the territorial boundaries will not be changed. Unfortunately Muivah happens to be from Manipur and the Government of India is using Muivah as the chief interlocutor to solve the Naga problem, where as the Nagas of Nagaland have been kept in the dark. Whatever solution is brought about by Muivah, I am very doubtful that Naga people will accept it. Because the Government has ruled out the Naga integration. At any cost Muivah can’t be a part of Nagaland as long as resistance to integration is there.
NE Sun: If you look at IM, Muivah may be from Manipur but Isak Swu is from Nagaland. Similarly the Reformation group’s Wangtin is from Nagaland but Tikhak is from Arunachal Pradesh. If you look at the background, the Nagaland State was created out of an agreement and trouble started when Nagas living outside the Nagaland State were left out. There are more Nagas living outside than the Nagas living inside the Nagaland. That’s why the trouble started.
Kitovi: You rightly said that the Nagaland state was created by a political agreement. There was a clause which kept the provision of Naga contiguous areas to merge with the Nagaland if people desire so. Chiten Jamir was sent to the Naga areas of Manipur to know if they desired to join Nagaland but the people out rightly rejected.
NE Sun: I think there is some confusion here. If you recall in Manipur one Naga political party came up with the name Naga Integration Council which spearheaded the movement to join the contiguous Naga areas and Rishang Keishing even contested election from the same Party and was elected.
Kitovi: Chiten Jamir was sent by the Nagaland Government and SC Jamir is the living witness to this. The 16 Point Agreement came in force and the State was created. The agreement and its provisions were too good for the people of Nagaland. But today it is not sufficient and moreover the Government of India does not seem to be committed to the 16 Point Agreement anymore and they have backtracked from the certain provisions. The Agreement needs to be reviewed from time to time. We are very much concerned about the Nagas living in Manipur. We are not happy when Manipur government humiliates and discriminate them. We want them to a part of us after all we are the same blood and same family. But when there is a boundary and no political Party at Centre is ready to redraw the inter-state boundary. I am talking about the practicality of the issue.
NE Sun: Your group has Ceasefire with the Government of India since 2011. What is your assessment about the Centre’s approach towards the Naga issue?
Kitovi: To my understanding and observation I think that the Government of India is not sincere in resolving the Naga political problem. Time to time they say that they are sincere but are not committed.
NE Sun: Why do you say that the Government is not committed? What makes you feel that?
Kitovi: If they were serious then India should have addressed the core issue to solve the problem.
NE Sun: Recently the Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced in Guwahati that the Government is coming out with solution very soon
Kitovi: Yes, they have a solution to Nagaland by declaring whole state disturbed. That is the solution? Even the Prime Minister had announced in Kohima on December 1, 2014 that solution would come in eighteen months of time. While the people are eagerly waiting for the solution, they have declared the entire State under the disturbed area. They should have deployed the force along the international boundary in the border areas not in the State Capital Kohima or the commercial town like Dimapur.
NE Sun: You said that the Centre should have addressed the core issue. Are you referring to the ongoing talks?
Kitovi: I am talking about the base people, I mean the people of Nagaland. It is the people of Nagaland who want a solution with the Government of India. The government of India should clearly differentiate the problems of the Nagas of Manipur and the problems of the Nagas of Nagaland. Muivah has always spoken against the 16 Point Agreement. Initially Nagas supported Isak and Muivah when they started the talks. Now how can he claim that the people are with him when he has clearly declared that the integration of the contiguous areas at this point is not possible? So, after hearing this we realised that the Government of India will use the same yardstick with us also.
NE Sun: But you are not for integration and you have been saying that you are only for the Nagas of Nagaland. Isn’t it true?
Kitovi: Yes, since the integration has been ruled out we have decided to work for the Nagas of Nagaland.
NE Sun: What do the Nagas of Nagaland want more? They already got the State.
Kitovi: That is not enough. That is not enough even the statehood is not enough. The Government of India is not sincere in implementing the 16 Point Agreement.
NE Sun: Which are the points you have complaints about?
Kitovi: Nagaland was initially under the Ministry of External Affairs.
NE Sun: But that was the earlier arrangement and…
Kitovi: (interrupts) But the document is still alive.
NE Sun: You want Nagaland to be placed under the Ministry of External affairs again?
Kitovi: Yes, very much
NE Sun: What are the other demands?
Kitovi: Nagaland was supposed to be funded by the Centre until and unless it could economically stand by itself but it was withdrawn. We are having thousands of educated youth who are unemployed and the Government of India is not sincere on how to accommodate these educated youth. Our only worry is that if we do not create space to accommodate them, these youth will be compelled to commit crimes out of desperation.
NE Sun: What about the role of the State Government which gets funds for all these?
Kitovi: That is not sufficient for the State Government. It is like giving a toffee to a crying child.
NE Sun: Whatever funds Nagaland is getting from Centre the question here is that whether it is being used properly?
Kitovi: Whether the State government is using funds properly or not I cannot comment on that but the funds they are getting from the Centre is not sufficient. It is not even one quarter portion to serve the Nagas. We have so many domestic problems
