Bounty on his head: Khaplang in exile. File The central government has banned Naga rebel group the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) for five years. Expressing shock over the ban, leaders from Nagaland's political and social arena said the faction deserved opportunities to be allowed to "negotiate" and not be banned.
The decision to declare NSCN (K) an unlawful organisation was taken in a cabinet meeting here, union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad told media persons after the meeting of the union cabinet.
The organisation has been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“In recent times, a lot of explosions and ambushes have been carried out by the organisation. The government of India, after elaborate consideration, has decided to declare NSCN(K) an unlawful organisation for five years,” Prasad said.
S.S. Khaplang heads the NSCN (Khaplang) faction while Sumi, a resident of Zhunehboto in Nagaland, holds charge of the armed wing of the group.
In 1988, the NSCN split into two factions — the NSCN(K) led by Khaplang and NSCN(IM) led jointly by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah.
But leaders of Naga society upset with the ban said it was important for each and every faction of NSCN-K and other stake holders must be part of the negotiation, without which reaching a political solution for the Naga conflict would be incomplete.
“This is a shock to us, can’t say why the government has done this specially after giving the clearance to us to hold talks with NSCN-K leaders in Myanmar. We are not happy with the government’s decision,” Chuba Ozukum, president of apex Naga civil society group Naga Hoho, said.
He said Naga civil societies, indulged in the task of persuading all factions to jointly accept the Naga Peace accord, was not able to understand the way the central government was dealing with the Naga issue.
The ban of NSCN-K came after a series of exchange of fire between security forces and the militant group in the last couple of weeks, causing death of 15 cadres of the militant group.
The ban was also a clear indication that the government was not going to indulge in any more talks with the NSCN-K especially after the latter was involved in a series of attacks on security forces after abrogating the 14-year-old ceasefire on March 27.
Khekiho Zhimomi, lone Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland, said: “To my view this decision by the Indian government is too early. NSCN-K should have been given more space for dialogue, so that they could have entered into the ceasefire once again.”
He said the government’s decision to ban the NSCN-K was contradictory to what it had said earlier regarding persuading NSCN-K to rejoin the peace process by coming into ceasefire.
The government had tasked the Naga civil societies to persuade the NSCN-K to rejoin the ceasefire.
The decision to ban NSCN-K under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act came after the union cabinet met in the national capital.
Recently, the central government had declared a bounty of Rs.17 lakh to anyone giving information about the location of NSCN-K chief S.S. Khaplang and its military chief Niki Sumi.
Speaking on the issue, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said: “This decision has been taken by the government so I cannot say anything about it. I will speak on the issue later.” (IANS)