In a significant development that may have direct bearing over the insurgency scenario of the north-eastern states, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) has expelled its chairman S.S. Khaplang.
The decision to expel Mr Khaplang was taken on Tuesday at an emergency session of the National Tatar Hoho, a national assembly of the outfit, which was convened at Khehoi designated camp near Dimapur.
In a statement issued to local media at Dimapur in Nagaland, the outfit said that the session was convened to deliberate the “unconstitutional” action of Mr Khaplang, who without the consent and approval of the national assembly, removed widely-respected Naga political figure “Gen” Kholi Konyak from the post of the commander-in-chief of the Naga army.
After ousting Mr Khaplang, who is a Hemi Naga from Burma, the organisation’s national assembly nominated C-in-C General Kholi Konyak as the acting president of the “Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland” and acting chairman of NSCN.
Mr Khaplang was also accused to have filled up vacant post of vice-chairman of the outfit unilaterally.
The statement further said that the assembly denounced Mr Khaplang’s “dictatorial” action ordering non-participation of NSCN(K) in the meeting of top leaders of Naga underground groups at Dimapur on September 18 last year and in all Naga re-conciliation meetings.
It said that Mr Khaplang’s “unilateral” and “arbitrary” decisions not only hampered the Naga reconciliation move initiated by Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to bring peace and reconciliation in Naga homeland but also remained non-committal on all “burning issues owing to his self-exiled nature of existence for more than ten years.”
Meanwhile, security sources said that they are keeping a close watch over the developments as it may have direct impact over the insurgency scenario of the region.