Naga rebels resent Ulfa control over leader Khaplang

GUWAHATI: Erstwhile comrades have attacked Burmese Naga rebel chieftain SS Khaplang for being manipulated by other northeast Indian rebel groups.

They said the primary reason behind many Nagas leaving Khaplang, who is the chairman of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, was his submission to United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) chief Paresh Baruah.

In March, the NSCN-K had unilaterally abrogated its 14-year truce with New Delhi. A series of attacks on security forces, believed to have been coordinated by the newly-floated United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW), followed.

Baruah’s Ulfa (Independence) is reportedly helming UNLFW that includes NSCN-K, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation and Meitei (Manipur) outfits such as People’s Liberation Army.

“Khaplang is in the grip of Baruah, and has reduced himself to just a nominal head of the party (NSCN-K). He is being utilised more by outsiders to suit their agenda rather than by insiders. The issue of sovereignty has also become merely a subject to keep his kitchen burning,” the breakaway NSCN (REFORMATION), in a statement

NSCN (Reformation) said in an e-mailed statement to HT.

It said the NSCN-K had for a year sustained Ulfa when it ran out of cash and resources after the arrest of all its top leaders in Bangladesh. Baruah, it alleged, took advantage of an ageing Khaplang and has been using the NSCN-K’s resources to rejuvenate the Ulfa.

“Baruah enjoyed five-star life in Bangladesh when Khaplang was sometimes even without food in his thatch house. Baruah is back in Myanmar only to escape death sentence in Bangladesh and save his head,” the statement said.

The NSCN (Reformation) also pointed out that Khaplang, on his own, would never have ordered the ambush on Assam Rifles personnel at Changlashu in Nagaland on May 5.