In a major development, one of the Naga militant outfits — Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) — has decided to abrogate the ongoing ceasefire agreement with the Government of India, leading to another split in the outfit. The developments became evident after two leaders of the outfit, Y Wangtin Naga and P Tikhak on Sunday announced that they are going to form a new outfit.

The joint statement issued by Wangtin and Tikhak said that NSCN-K chairman SS Khaplang had on Friday last unilaterally decided to abrogate the 14-year-old ceasefire agreement with the Indian Government. Khaplang had on Friday evening also directed the Cease Fire Supervisory Board (CFSB) of the outfit and its members to immediately cease functioning, failing which action would be taken against them.

Wangtin and Tikhak, however, declared that in a meeting of the CFSB, held in Mon district, it was decided that the agreement regarding the ceasefire would continue-this finally led to the difference of opinions among the ranks of the outfit. The two were later expelled from the outfit.

“The to-be-formed new outfit would work for peace and national reconciliation and built a better society for the Naga people. Since we are expelled from the NSCN(K), we are free to serve the people at our best,” the two leaders said in a joint statement.

Wangtin and Tikhak also said that they had given the best part of their lives in serving the nation and particularly Khaplang. They also mentioned that they stood by Khaplang even when almost all decided to leave him during NSCN-K’s split in 2011, when another two leaders-Khole Konyak and Kitovi Zhimoni split and formed the NSCN(GPRN).

“Few power and money mongers fed the ears of SS Khaplang so much so, that he forgot all the contribution for the people of Eastern Nagaland and for the NSCN,” Wangtin and Tikhak said, adding that Khaplang had failed to read their nerves and had fallen prey to a handful of people, whose only agenda is to “mint money in the name of political movement” and not actually work for the cause of the people.