Dimapur, September 15 (MExN): The Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC, NNPGS) on Wednesday issued a statement saying the NSCN (IM) claim of sole legitimacy to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue and their “secretive agreement and their refusal to share the contents of their competencies” has caused more suspicion among the people.
“It is for the Naga people to accord legitimacy and approval and not for any political organisation to claim such,” the WC, NNPGS said, adding that “the people’s mandate for early solution is crystal clear and NNPGs has reciprocated to the genuine desire of the suffering Naga people.”
“Moreover, the Naga people question the credibility of their secretive agreement and their refusal to share the contents of their competencies has caused even more suspicion rather than according them the legitimacy to decide the fate of the people,” it said, referring to the Framework Agreement (FA) signed between the Government of India (GoI) and the NSCN (IM) in August 2015.
The WC, NNPGs claimed that ever since the split of NSCN, “the Nagas at large had been misled and bewitched by propagandas and misinformation campaigns” and up till the signing of FA, the Naga people were “misguided” with the illusion that NSCN (IM) alone could resolve the issue. “The GoI and the Naga people however realised the futility of one-sided effort and the need for broad based process involving all the stake holders became paramount if at all an amicable, honourable and acceptable solution is to be brought about,” it added.
According to the WC, NNPGs, with the exception of the 1951 plebiscite, the Naga people had, at no point of time, conducted any political exercise to accord any particular organisation the legitimacy to resolve the conflict. As a result, the 16 point Agreement and the Shillong Accord were nullified by the Nagas, and the “secretive and exclusive” FA became even more obscure and untrustworthy, it said.
As such, the NNPGs claimed it rose to the occasion and signed the Agreed Position with the GoI thus ushering in a new era and paving the way for broad based honourable and acceptable political solution.
It went on to add that the Agreed Position and the supporting status paper submitted to the GoI “covers every aspects and contours of the Naga aspiration and clearly underlines ‘the rights of the Nagas to self-determine their own future.’”
This, in itself, is the cardinal and unprecedented achievement in the entire course of the Naga struggle which other Naga negotiators in the past or the present failed to implant in the political agreement, it added.
The WC, NNPGs further said that the “Nagas must also not be confused with the misinterpretation of Framework Agreement with regard to sharing of sovereign power between GoI and the Nagas,” adding that the phrase “does in no manner imply or agree to granting of sovereignty as being alluded to by IM.” Rather, it said that the GoI was “very candid and firm” on distribution of subjects and political/administrative jurisdictions between the centre and the federating units within the Constitution. It said that the same arrangement was pre-ordained by Th Muivah in 2012, “where he publicly acknowledged that sovereignty and territorial integration is impossible and as such any solution shall be within Indian federation and bounds of Indian Constitution.” Based on this acquiescence on the part of the NSCN (IM), the GoI agreed to ink the FA in 2015, it added.
The WC, NNPGs said the issue of flag and constitution for the Nagas were not indicated anywhere in the FA “unless there exist another hidden document” and added that it was raised after conclusion of all formal political dialogue as announced on October 31, 2019. It also said that all the unresolved issues including territorial integration are to be pursued successively post-solution.
Stating that Nagas and the GoI are well aware of the fact that peaceful co-existence is the only way forward, it said that the NNPGs Agreed Position and the status paper were prepared in correspondence to people’s wishes and reality of the times. “It has been widely shared and discussed with every section of the Naga people and has acquired popular endorsement and thumping approval of the people,” it claimed. It went on to state that its “holistic and realistic” approach to resolve the Indo-Naga conflict does not harbour any illusion or make false promises.
It accused the NSCN (IM) of dragging the process indefinitely by changing their stances with the change of every interlocutor during the 23 years of negotiation, “despite having fully realised the improbability of their lofty demands.” It alleged that, ‘Solution’ has “become a threat to many enterprising workers who manage their comfortable living and imposes ruthless dictates on the common Naga mass on the pretext of resolving the conflict.”
Stating that “Early solution is the only option,” the WC, NNPGs said that it was an opportune time for every genuine national worker to bow down and accept reality. “The Nagas demand truth, transparency and accountability and above all early solution in line with the realistic approach of the NNPGs,” it added.
