Dimapur: The Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) said although integration of Naga areas in India and in Myanmar was a legitimate aspiration of the Naga people, the "contemporary political reality cannot be ignored".

In this connection, the working committee of NNPGs, in a statement, on Sunday said the Naga integration issue, therefore, will be pursued democratically through people-to-people dialogue.

Explaining a few facts that, they said, required prompt clarification, the statement said the NNPGs comprised six NNPGs and not a decreased number.

The working committee pointed out that the NNPGs and the government of India signed an agreement on November 17, 2017, in the manner of a preamble for further political negotiations, an agreed position upon which the negotiation would be based. "Which is why it is erroneous to say NNPGs joined the peace talks," it said. The political dialogue is between two entities - the NNPGs and the government of India - which is a fresh initiative, it said.

According to the working committee of NNPGs, the talks between the government of India and the NNPGs were being held "systematically in a free, open and cordial atmosphere".

Stating that co-existence entailed recognising perennial rights of the Nagas over specific matters, the committee said there was no gag order on the NNPGs. "Matters requiring immediate deliberations and consultations with our people back home are being done unconditionally. In the Naga context, lack of transparency is suicidal," the committee said.

The NNPGs also took strong exception to the report published by a Kerala-based news magazine on July 6 that the Centre was taking a hard stance on on Naga demands. The report was also carried in a section of local dailies on July 7.

The committee clarified that Alezo Venuh, envoy to collective leadership, GPRN/NSCN, and coordinator in the ongoing political dialogue between the NNPGs and the government of India, had, at no point in time, given any interview to print or electronic media on the status of the Indo-Naga political negotiations. "There is certainly no truth in the statement attributed to Venuh," the committee said.

It sought the author of the article to withdraw a part of the baseless and imaginary statement within one week.

The committee cautioned that a legal course of action would be pursued should the author fail to tender an "unconditional apology for misleading the Naga people through unethical journalism".