ZB responds to JTC, says no authority can cease Zeliangrong
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 31 2020:
The Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB) has responded to the "Joint Tribes Council" (JTC) claims that there is no "Zeliangrong" nomenclature any more.
In a statement, Athuan Abonmai, president, Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) said that the 'self-styled' JTC, 'created by the NSCN (IM)' for the fortification of the vested interest of Hebron Camp are living in fool's paradise as they think that there is no more Zeliangrong.
They should realize that the unity and integrity of the Zeliangrong as one tribe and in one common ancestral land cannot be taken away by the whimsical political designs of any organization or one underground group, he added.
Historical evidence and anthropological studies have proved beyond doubt the Zeliangrong people are one people, with the same origin, same culture and are bound by the indestructible bond of consanguinity, he said and added that the unnecessary confusion created today within the Zeliangrong family is due to the interference of NSCN-IM under the garb of a ceasefire, peace talks and the barrel of a gun for reasons best known to them.
"Woe to those individuals who pose complete trust and faith on this underground group and not on the truth and historical evidence, as every confusion and problem created and seen today are temporal and ultimately, they will disappear sooner than later as soon as that particular underground group declines.
Truth shall prevail and hence, the Zeliangrong people will march ahead and thrive on as long as the earth exists," Athuan Abonmai maintained.
Asserting that those who make such cheap statements should understand that the public are not fools, he added that the public can very well understand the vested interests behind the act of "innocent players" played upon by this underground group.
"On 28 March 2018, NSCN (IM) tried to demolish the unified status of Zeliangrong as a single tribe and split it into three separate tribes, Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei.
Further, they also created the three councils with some few handpicked from those individuals who were in their good book and formed the councils and later on, the so-called Joint Tribes Council much against the will and common interest of the Zeliangrong public.
The Zeliangrong people had never taken such resolution to rename or split Zeliangrong.
As such, Zeliangrong name continues to soar high in the comity of tribes in North East India and this is duly acknowledged by the Government of India, the State Governments, scholars, historians, media fraternities, etc," he added.
Claiming that the ulterior motive of NSCN (IM) is to eliminate or at least sabotage the prospects of Zeliangrong homeland movement which they think is against the Pan Naga Hoho design but have no courage to say anything against the ENPO movement for separate Frontier Nagaland State nor do they have anything to say against the existing State of Nagaland which was formed only for few sections of the Nagas, he added that such double standard will not work and shall not be tolerated anymore by the Zeliangrong people.
Athuan further claimed that the so-called JTC is playing into the hands of this underground group who are hell-bent to 'split' the Zeliangrong people and also form territorial divisions so that they can reign over the Zeliangrong people of the three States (Assam Manipur and Nagaland).
"This evil agenda will never succeed and they are living in an illusion if they think that they can play around with the Zeliangrong people.
It is high time for them to learn that no force on earth can do away with the unity and integrity of the Zeliangrong people," he added.
Saying that the stand of the Zeliangrong people on the Naga peace process has already been conveyed to the Government of India, which include extending support to the agreed position between NNPGs and the Government of India, he added that the Zeliangrong Baudi for early settlement of the protracted Naga political issue.
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