S.S. Khaplang

Kohima, June 24: The Khaplang group of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland claims to still have control over parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

Terming the Khole and Kitovi group as “breakaway”, Y. Wangtin Konyak, a senior functionary of the NSCN (K), said rival groups would have no impact on the Khaplang group as it still controlled parts of Nagaland, eastern Nagaland (Myanmar) southern Nagaland (Manipur sector) and Tirap and Changlang districts.

Konyak hails from Mon district of Nagaland and is still with Khaplang along with many other Konyak leaders. Rival Khole Konyak also hails from the district’s Tobu area.

Dismissing the legitimacy of what he called “the breakaway group formed by Khole and Kitovi”, Konyak said the NSCN (K), under its chairman S.S. Khaplang, was still intact.

He accused “some forces” of misguiding Khole, and appealed to the “group of people misguiding our great general not to further misuse him, let him hold honour and respect till his last breath.”

He appealed to Nagas to stand firmly for their genuine cause despite the “sinister designs” and reiterated that the “recent crisis” would have no impact on the NSCN/GPRN dominancy.

He warned that any NSCN (K) worker, irrespective of rank, found getting involved in the activities of the “breakaway group” would be expelled.

Self-styled major general Nyemlang Konyak, general staff officer-I, general headquarters, NSCN (K), stated through the group’s publicity wing that an emergency meeting was held on June 22 during which the Naga army at the general headquarters resolved to stand firmly with Khaplang. “Our position is clear and firm. Chairman Khaplang was our leader and will always remain so and we, the Naga army at the GHQ, vow to stand by him till the end,” he stated. The communiqué termed as unfortunate that Khole and Kitovi had “defected from the party to form their own organisation” but said that this didn’t detract the NSCN from achieving its goal.

The Khole and Kitovi group, however, maintained that there was no split in the group and that Khaplang had been expelled for his opposition to the reconciliation process under the aegis of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation.