While frontline NSCN(K) leaders such as commander-in-chief general Khole and Kitovi Zhimomi have floated a breakaway faction of the group opposing their chairman's leadership, the military wing of the rebel group has resolved to back Khaplang as its leader.
"There cannot be two opinions within one group. Our stand on Khaplang is clear. The Naga army met at its general headquarters on June 22 and decided to support him," NSCN(K) general staff officer-1 'major-general' Nyemlang Konyak said here on Friday.
"Khaplang was our leader and will continue to be so. The Naga army will stand by him till the end. Khaplang has not only kept the Nagas of eastern Nagaland united, but has also safeguarded the Naga territory from other raiding groups," he said.
"In the present so-called state of Nagaland as well, Khaplang has always given equal opportunity to every tribe and community. His contribution to the Nagas is invaluable and cannot be questioned," Konyak added.
Earlier this month, some Nagaland-based leaders of the NSCN(K) had impeached Khaplangand elected General Khole as their acting chairman in a "parliament session" held at the group's designated camp at Khehoi. "Khaplang has been functional from his hideout in Myanmar and taking unilateral decisions without the consent of the leaders at the Khehoi designated camp," a top functionary of the outfit had said.
However, two days after his impeachment by the NSCN(K)'s Khole-Kitovi faction, Khaplang came up with counter-expulsion orders against senior functionaries of the outfit. Using the nomenclature of NSCN and addressing himself as its chairman, Khaplang issued two expulsion orders - one against Zhimomi and the other for "home minister" Azheto Chophy.
The expulsion orders, issued to the media through P Tikhak who termed himself as "spokesperson of NSCN(K)," described the expelled functionaries as "members of the unification camp" and said they were expelled for their "anti-party activities".
Khaplang said, "On sensing their hidden agenda, we declare to fight them tooth and nail. And even today, the NSCN cadre are fighting the reactionary forces in eastern Nagaland as well as in Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh and southern Nagaland. But Zhimomi has been found watching leisurely in so-called state of Nagaland and not doing enough in the interest of the NSCN...thus, according to party discipline, Zhimomi is found guilty."
The NSCN had first suffered a split in 1988 following bloody clashes between those owing allegiance to Isaac Swu and Th Muivah, now heading the NSCN(IM), and Khaplang in Myanmar. Over 200 rebels belonging to the NSCN(IM) were reportedly killed in the clashes.
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