Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 25
NSCN (IM) Collective Leadership member, Lt Gen (Retd) VS Atem said the Naga movement has come to a crucial point of resolving issues for amicable solution with the Government of India.
The former Naga army chief said sustained negotiations have led the NSCN (IM) to the Framework Agreement, which was signed in recognition of expediting Naga sovereignty politically and amicably with factual position of the Indian Government, with focus on a mechanism of shared sovereignty.
“The mechanism would define by working out competencies which are crucial to Naga political rights and history. Government of India has assured us to fully respect the rights and interests of the Nagas. In the defined competencies, Naga people’s sovereignty is paramount, which India would not interfere into the specified domains of the Nagas,” Atem said in his message at the Prayer Summit organized by Council of Nagalim Churches.
The Collective Leadership member also disclosed that a fundamental part of the competencies being negotiated so far has tremendous expression of the Naga national identity whose control over land and resources is substantiated for its independent utility only by the Nagas. Atem said two crucial aspects of the competencies feature Naga national flag and Naga Constitution called Yezhabo.
“Naga flag carries a prerequisite symbol of the people’s identity, the Naga nation. Yezhabo will be legally integrated as a historical document representing a total function of the Naga cultural, religious, social, economic and political life. Therefore, the final settlement would constitute a provision in the Indian structure of managing Naga affairs, an article confirming the ‘Yezhabo of Nagalim’,” he said.
However, Atem also said that Nagas must understand that the Indian government’s policy is, by and large, to let the vast Indian interests prevail over Nagas unique legitimate right and added even the current negotiation has been facing unwanted elements of the India state indiscriminately.
“One such anti-Naga operation is being of late mentored by the RSS elements trying to imagine a Hindu nation state. Their ‘Bharatiya philosophy’ contemplates that there cannot be two ‘Bharats’ with India. It commits to strengthen Hindu national government and views the outcome of a possible Naga homeland as threatening the RSS Hindu dream,” he said.
The NSCN (IM) leaders said such intrusions into the Naga country are indeed like monsters trying to devour the Naga values and culture and that the political agenda of expediting a wholesome Hindustan has more often been betrayed in the RSS operations to let the GoI ignore the Nagas’ right.
“But be rest assured that NSCN shall never compromise on the infrastructure of Nagas’ legitimate political institutions,” the NSCN leader asserted and reminded that history is witness to the fact that India’s plan of crushing the Nagas had failed, Nagas too could not drive the Indian from their land; this necessitated both the parties to come to the negotiating table.
“Let history be told that Nagas are led by the mercies of God and eventually were guided by the love of freedom. The Collective Leadership of the Naga movement, regardless of its share of challenges, had been sincerely dedicated, and with unflinching support of the Naga people will vigorously continue to uphold, preserve and protect the Naga political cause to any length,” Atem said.
