Kohima, Feb. 2: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) today strongly rebutted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for using the term “terrorist” against the outfit.

In a statement issued by NSCN (I-M) leader A.Z. Jami, the outfit charged the NIA with trying to sabotage the ongoing Naga peace process with the Centre.

“It must be viewed as a serious breach of trust and lack of sincerity on the part of the government of India. It has come as a great shock to the NSCN in particular and Nagas in general,” Jami said.

He said the NSCN was formed based on the universal human rights principle of the right to self-determination adding that it was wrong on the part of the Centre to allege that the Nagas were fighting against India as NSCN still advocates a political approach towards resolving the political issue with New Delhi.

“The NSCN is not a terrorist organisation at all. It has never adopted any kind of terrorist means to achieve its desired goal,” the NSCN spokesman claimed. He said Naga militants had never attempted to kill any civilian though more than 250,000 Nagas have been killed by the Indian security forces.

“The NSCN is an internationally recognised political organisation. The government of India had embarked upon political talks recognising us as a political entity,” he added.

Jami asked the NIA not to distort the history and undo the well-meant political stand taken by various Indian political leaders to hammer out an acceptable and honourable solution to the decade-old Indo-Naga political problem.

The ban on the NSCN was lifted on November 18, 2002, by the Centre.

Jami said therefore, it was wrong on the part of the NIA to brand the NSCN a terrorist group.

He said after 15 years of peace talks it would be wrong for the Indian government and the NSCN to hurl false allegations against each other, adding that it was the desire of the people that there should not be a roadblock towards the peace process.

Jami said his outfit was committed to seek a solution through peaceful means, but added that the NSCN would never accept the term “terrorist”. He said more than 80 rounds of talks had been held since the NSCN was committed to seek a solution through peaceful means.