Dimapur, April 10 (MExN): The Indo-Naga talk was never concluded on October 31, 2019, the NSCN (IM) asserted on Sunday, while accusing former Interlocutor and Governor of Nagaland, RN Ravi of trying to “bring confusion in the mind of the Naga people,” and misleading the Nagas as well as the Government of India (GoI).
In a press release issued through its Ministry of Information and Publicity, the NSCN (IM) maintained that October 31, 2019, instead was “actually a day of ultimatum served to the NSCN to sign the agreement under the Indian constitution without the Naga flag and the Yehzabo (constitution).”
It further alleged that the former Interlocutor “threatened the NSCN with dire consequences and declared that with or without NSCN, an agreement has to be signed on or before the 31st October, 2019.”
Otherwise, nothing was finalized, it stated.
Accordingly, the NSCN (IM) claimed that the former Interlocutor adopted the adage attributed to the former United States President, Harry S Truman, “If you cannot convince them, confuse them,” after failing to convince the NSCN to sign an agreement without the Naga flag and the Yehzabo.
Thereafter, declaring that the talks were concluded, tacit pressure was put on the NSCN in particular and the Naga people in general as he resorted to psychological warfare, it alleged.
It included military exercises such as flying of jet fighters in Naga areas, bringing in big tanks and rocket launchers, pouring in of unaccountable Indian security forces "as if a real war is coming," it added.
The NSCN (IM) further claimed that even Nagaland state police were instructed to keep rations in stocks for at least two months and Special Branch were instructed to identify NSCN members and their residents.
While the NSCN (IM) ‘firmly stood their ground,’ it regretted that some Naga leaders were carried away by the former Interlocutor “deceitful tactics and started shouting with undue zeal and attention that the Naga talk has concluded.”
Towards this, the NSCN (IM) emphasised that the Framework Agreement (FA) of August 3, 2015 has to be examined very carefully to avoid getting confused with grounded implications. It said that the FA was signed based on the principle core issues between the GoI and the NSCN.
To emphasize its point, the NSCN(IM) quoted a passage, purportedly from the FA “It is with great satisfaction that dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN has successfully concluded and we are confident that it will provide for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful coexistence of the two entities.”
In “true political interpretation’ it implies “a relationship between India and Nagas to begin a new and a fresh unlike the present arrangements with oppressive nature but to co-exist as two friendly entities under the principle of shared sovereignty,” it elaborated.
However, the more crucial point for final settlement was inserted in the next paragraph:“The two sides agreed that within the Framework Agreement, details and execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly,” it maintained.
Stating that the ‘crucial point’ referred to the competency that Ravi "miserably found difficult to formulate the details as agreed upon," the NSCN (IM) claimed that the former misinformed the Parliament Standing Committee (PAC) on the FA by stating that an “understanding was reached to be ‘within India’ and accordingly the FA was signed.
By misinforming and misleading the GoI as well as the Naga people, the former Interlocutor was “able to divide the Nagas successfully,” the NSCN(IM) asserted, adding, he ultimately crafted another agreement known as “Agreed Position” with the Naga National Political Groups and started attacking the FA and NSCN.
In addition, it also stated that Ravi informed the PAC that for Nagaland state, “there is already Article 371 (A) and solution for other Nagas in neighbouring states can be solved with little variation,” in total contrast to the FA.
Reiterating that the Indo-Naga talk was never concluded, the NSCN (IM) underlined that “we have been witnessing the negotiations that are still going on to resolve the core issues without which there is no foreseeable agreement.”
Significantly, as the FA was signed in the presence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries who matter when it comes to running the government affairs, the NSCN (IM) asserted that "unnecessary confusion" should not be made into an issue and the FA should be kept away from becoming “another betraying agreement.”
