Ridiculing ruling Naga People’s Front’s (NPF) claim that the recent electoral "success" of the regional party in Manipur was "a forward journey of Naga integration," Nagaland Pradesh Congress today said the Nagas in the neighbouring state rejected the NPF’s campaign for political integration during the electioneering.

NPCC, in a statement here, said it was a "shame" for NPF to "boast of their so-called achievement" by winning only four seats in the Manipur assembly election after contesting in 12 segments of the Naga inhabited areas of the hill districts.

The NPF had earlier claimed that despite its debut in electoral politics in Manipur, the regional party bagged four seats paving a forward journey for Naga political integration.

But NPCC maintained that the NPF had put the Nagas of Manipur to a "disadvantaged position" by causing further confrontation with the Meiteis, insisting that the regional party’s achievement was in fact a "backward journey to integration."

NPCC pointed out that out of 20 assembly seats in the hill districts, Congress won 14 seats while the NPF managed to get just four, which means that "only 1/5th of the people" had supported NPF’s idea of integration and the majority of the Naga people rejected the campaign.

Despite United Naga Council’s (Manipur) opposition to the Congress party and declaring full support to the NPF, the "right thinking Nagas" realized that under the present circumstances, the territorial integration of Naga inhabited areas of India and Myanmar were impossible, the statement said. More

Asserting that the people wanted "emotional integration and not territorial integration," the NPCC said "when territorial integration is not achievable, our brothers and sisters of Manipur understood that they have to live in harmony with the Meiteis, the majority community in Manipur."

Referring to NPF’s announcement that it would contest in future elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the NPCC said the regional should first ask the people of the two neighbouring states if they are ready for territorial integration.

Meanwhile, Nagaland Health and Family Welfare minister Kuzholuzo Neinuo attending a cultural programme at Ukhrul (Manipur) yesterday urged the Nagas to keep the "Naga political agenda" alive through unity, saying the winning of four seats by NPF had fulfilled the dream and prayer of the Nagas.

Attending "seed sowing festival" of Tangkhul community, the minister said though the NPF had made a maiden entry with the winning of four seats, the "integration would be a reality one day."

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former finance minister K Therie, in a separate statement here, said that Nagaland was "on the verge of disintegration" when the NPF leaders were fighting for Naga integration "elsewhere."

Reacting to statements of chief minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF president and urban development minister Shurhozelie that the demand of Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) for a "Frontier Nagaland" was with New Delhi, Therie pointed out that they (NPF leaders), on the other hand, were fighting for integration elsewhere.

Therie said the attitude of the NPF leaders only explained the "insult to injury of social, economic and political injustice, deprivation and suppression" of the eastern Nagas as claimed by the ENPO.

The Congress leader alleged that "pride, ego, fear and shameless selfishness" were responsible for the "disintegration of Nagaland" and the inability of the NPF leaders to own up mistakes for the wrongs was "dividing Nagaland into sections and factions."