Kohima, Oct. 1: The Naga Students’ Federation today rejected the views expressed in Bedrock of Naga Society, a booklet published by the Nagaland PCC, terming it as a “complete distortion” of Naga history that demeaned the “Naga political struggle for self-rule”.

Talking to newsmen here, NSF office-bearers said the contents of the Congress publication were a “total negation” of the “Naga aspiration”, at a time when fresh initiatives were being taken by the Union government to find a solution to the current impasse.

They said the Congress’ view contained in the booklet that the Naga political problem had been resolved with the formation of the state in 1963 had been rejected by various organisations and individuals. Nagaland was formed after a 16-point agreement between the Centre and the Naga People’s Convention signed in 1960.

“But the fact remains that a final settlement is yet to be arrived at and that’s why the current peace process, involving Naga underground organisations, was initiated,” the NSF said.

The NSF recently published The Naga Foundation to counter the views of the Congress, asserting that the Congress booklet was a “deliberate attempt to distort facts pertaining to a race which suffered enormously in the course of its history”. It added that the Congress views sought to “nullify the struggle, pains and sacrifices the Nagas undertook”.

NSF president Vipopal Kintso said: “We do not have any political motive behind the publication of our booklet. Somebody may have launched a counter-campaign in view of the coming Assembly elections.”

Stating that the 16-point agreement was the “handiwork of a handful of elite Nagas in the form of the Naga Peoples’ Convention, which did not have the mandate of the Nagas”, Kintso said the Congress booklet constituted a “travesty of truth”.

However, the ruling Congress said the sole purpose of its publication was to kickstart an informed debate and discussion among the Naga public on various pertinent questions. Nowhere in the booklet did the party state that the statehood was the final settlement of the Naga political issue. Rather, the future settlement must be found on the foundation of the 16-point agreement, the Congress has said. The booklet was “condemned and burnt” as the PCC could not defend the publication. The NSF hadcalled for a debate on the issue.

Asked about its stand on the coming elections, the NSF’s Achumbemo Lotha said the student’s body could not comment on the issue, as it was not directly involved in the state’s electoral process.