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Naga body appeals for peace

By Correspondent

DIMAPUR, March 7 � Following the March 5 firing and bloodshed at Khoupum area under Nungba sub-division in Tamenglong district of Manipur between the NSCN-IM and ZUF, the Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland) has made strong appeals for peace and non-violence and restraint by all concerned.

Stating that it is not against or in favour of any particular outfit, the Baudi in a statement issued by its president Raitu Chawang and general secretary Elu Ndang, however, cautioned that any form of violence initiated from any quarter in Zeliangrong areas will not be tolerated.

The Baudi also made the stand of the Zeliangrong people loud and clear that there will be no more bloodshed and loss of precious lives in Zeliangrong areas while warning that if the appeal of the Zeliangrong people is not heeded by any organisation/government and if they continues to perpetrate violence, the Zeliangrong people will be constrained to review their cooperation with these organisation(s).

The Baudi also felt that the Zeliangrong civil societies should be given sufficient time and space to take the initiatives to bring about understanding, negotiation and reconciliation among the conflicting parties.

Maintaining that while the Zeliangrong Baudi and its allied civil societies are putting in every effort to bring the newly floated Zeliangrong United front (ZUF) to an understanding, it lamented that the NSCN-IM has set the deadline of March 10 for the newly ZUF to surrender, disparaging all the efforts of the Zeliangrong people. The NSCN-IM cadres also chose to forgo the deadline and began its operation on March 5, it lamented.

�However strong the case or reason for the spate of firing, loss of precious human life and disturbance of normal life in the vicinity of the incidence without giving a chance for truce and peace, paramount to negligence of the spirit reconciliation and peace and abject discrimination of the people,� the Baudi said.

Going by the reports in local dailies, if the three warring factions can unite together and come to an understanding for an issue as small as conducting a joint offensive against a splinter group of the Zeliangrong people and subdue the voice of the people, why not the greater reach of the realm of the Naga Nationhood � reconciliation and thus unification, it asked.

Noting that some other militant groups have also sprung up in other Naga areas, but no action of such kind have been taken against them so far, the Baudi sought to know why should the Zeliangrong people be singled out and punitive actions initiated against the Zeliangrongs alone.

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