Why the Naga people deserve clarity after decades of dialogue
Atoke B Aye (Atoke Naga)
For generations, the Naga people have lived with one unfinished question: When will the Indo-Naga political issue finally be resolved?
This is not a question that belongs only to underground organisations, governments, negotiators or political leaders. It belongs to the people.
It belongs to the young Naga student preparing for a future whose political environment remains uncertain. It belongs to the farmer, entrepreneur, government employee and businessperson trying to plan beyond the present. It belongs to parents who have heard the promise of a political solution for decades. And it belongs to a generation that is increasingly asking why an issue that has been discussed for so many years remains unresolved.
The Naga political issue has a long and complicated history. But today, there is one particularly important question that the public deserves to understand:
What happened to the political commitments made through the 2015 Framework Agreement and the 2017 Agreed Position, and why has the process still not produced a final settlement?
That question deserves an honest, factual and public discussion.
A HISTORIC MOMENT IN 2015
On 3 August 2015, the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) signed the Framework Agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Government of India described the agreement as the outcome of a prolonged dialogue and stated that the Government had recognised the unique history, culture and position of the Nagas and their sentiments and aspirations. It also stated that the agreement would pave the way for a settlement and that details and an execution plan would follow.
This was not presented to the public as an ordinary administrative arrangement.
It was presented as a historic political development after decades of conflict and negotiations.
The Government of India subsequently stated in Parliament in March 2017 that the Framework Agreement was a relevant document and that details of the final settlement were being worked out within its parameters.
In December 2017, the Government further stated that the Framework Agreement had laid down the broad parameters for a final settlement, while acknowledging that the final accord had not yet been signed.
Therefore, the public expectation was clear: negotiations would continue towards a final political settlement.
THE 2017 AGREED POSITION
On 17 November 2017, the Government of India entered into an Agreed Position with the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).
This became another significant milestone in the political dialogue.
Together, the 2015 Framework Agreement and the 2017 Agreed Position became central reference points in public discussions about the future political settlement.
The people were therefore given reason to believe that the decades-old political question was moving towards a conclusion.
But the years continued to pass.
2019: NEGOTIATIONS REPORTEDLY CONCLUDED
Another important milestone came in October 2019.
The Government of Nagaland stated that negotiations had concluded on 31 October 2019 and that, following the 2015 Framework Agreement and the conclusion of talks, a political solution was expected.
The Nagaland Legislative Assembly has also recorded the dates of the 2015 Framework Agreement, the 2017 Agreed Position and the reported conclusion of talks on 31 October 2019.
Yet the final political settlement has remained unresolved.
This is where the concern of the ordinary Naga citizen becomes unavoidable.
If negotiations have reached the stage publicly described as concluded, and if agreements have already been signed, what remains to be done?
If something remains unresolved, what exactly is it?
If implementation requires further constitutional, legislative or administrative steps, what are those steps?
And most importantly: What is the roadmap?
AN AGREEMENT CANNOT REMAIN ONLY A SYMBOL
An agreement is meaningful not merely because it is signed.
Its significance ultimately depends upon what follows.
The Government of India itself said in 2015 that details and an execution plan would follow.
That makes implementation an essential part of the public conversation.
The Naga people should therefore not be asked simply to remember the historic moment of 2015.
They should be able to understand what came after it.
What was agreed?
What was subsequently negotiated?
What has been accepted?
What remains disputed?
What has already been implemented?
What remains pending?
These are not unreasonable questions.
They are legitimate questions from a people whose future is directly connected with the outcome of the political process.
THE COST OF PROLONGED UNCERTAINTY
The consequences of an unresolved political question cannot be measured only in terms of negotiations between political organisations.
There is also a human cost to prolonged uncertainty.
A GENERATION IS GROWING UP WAITING
Many young Nagas today were children—or were not even born—when the current phase of negotiations began.
They have grown up hearing words such as: ceasefire, dialogue, Framework Agreement, Agreed Position, political solution, final settlement and implementation.
But young people also need to know what these words mean for their actual future. They need political clarity. They need to understand the environment in which they will establish careers, businesses, families and communities. A political process that extends across generations inevitably creates frustration when its destination remains unclear.
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IS AT STAKE
Peace processes depend heavily on confidence and trust. The Government of India itself described the 2015 dialogue as having developed through equality, respect and trust. Trust, however, must be sustained through visible progress.
When people hear that agreements have been signed, negotiations have progressed and talks have concluded, but still do not see a final settlement, questions naturally arise. This does not mean that the entire peace process has failed. It means that the public deserves an explanation of where the process currently stands. Silence and uncertainty can create their own form of public frustration.
THE QUESTION OF NAGA IDENTITY
The Indo-Naga political issue is deeply connected with questions of history, identity, culture and political aspiration. The Government of India itself publicly recognised the unique history, culture and position of the Nagas in 2015. For the Naga people, therefore, the political settlement is not simply about administrative arrangements. It is also about how Naga identity, customary practices, institutions, land and resources, culture and political aspirations are recognised within whatever final framework emerges. This is why the contents and implications of the political agreements must be understood by the public. The people should not have to depend entirely on rumours, social-media interpretations or political speeches to understand their own political future.
DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY
Nagaland's development challenges are complex and cannot all be attributed to the unresolved political issue.
However, political stability and clarity matter for long-term development. Investment requires confidence. Businesses require predictability. Young people need employment opportunities.
Entrepreneurs need an environment in which they can plan for the future. Infrastructure requires long-term planning. Tourism requires stability. Education and human-resource development require confidence in the future. Therefore, achieving a durable political settlement is not separate from the question of development. Political clarity and development are closely connected, even though one cannot be reduced entirely to the other.
THE DIVISION WITHIN THE NAGA POLITICAL SPACE
Another difficult reality is that the Naga political movement has never been completely uniform. There have been different organisations, negotiating groups, political positions and interpretations.
This makes the process complicated. But it also makes public clarity more important. The people need to distinguish between: an actual signed agreement, a negotiating position, a proposal, an interpretation, a political demand, and an issue that remains unresolved. Without this distinction, public debate can quickly become confused. The answer is not more confusion. The answer is more information.
THE PEOPLE DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE AGREEMENTS
The political issue should not remain a subject discussed only behind closed doors.
The Naga public should be encouraged to understand the actual documents and the positions of the parties involved.
The questions are straightforward:
• What does the 2015 Framework Agreement actually provide?
• What does the 2017 Agreed Position actually provide?
• Which commitments have already been fulfilled?
• Which commitments remain pending?
• What issues remain unresolved between the parties?
• What constitutional or legislative mechanisms are required?
• Who has responsibility for the next stage?
• What is the roadmap towards implementation?
These questions should be answered with documents, explanations and evidence. Not rumours. Not speculation. Not slogans.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT ONE PARTY OR ONE ORGANISATION
The Indo-Naga political question must not be reduced to a contest between political personalities. Nor should it become a battle between tribes. Nor should it be treated as the property of any one organisation.
The future of the Naga people is bigger than individual political interests. The question is ultimately about how a durable political settlement can be achieved through peaceful dialogue and how commitments already made can be translated into a workable outcome.
That requires responsibility from everyone involved. It requires seriousness from the Government of India. It requires responsibility from the Naga political negotiating groups. It requires constructive engagement from the State Government. It requires informed participation from civil society. And it requires the Naga public—especially the younger generation—to understand the issue rather than simply inherit opinions about it.
PEACE MUST HAVE A POLITICAL DESTINATION
For decades, the Naga people have demonstrated patience. There have been periods of conflict. There have been ceasefires. There have been negotiations. There have been agreements. There have been changes of governments and political leadership.
But the fundamental political question remains.
Peace cannot mean simply the absence of open conflict. A sustainable peace must also provide political clarity, public confidence and a framework that the concerned parties can accept and implement.
That is why the transition from agreement to implementation is so important.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRESENT GENERATION
The responsibility now belongs to the present generation to understand the issue properly.
We cannot demand a political settlement while refusing to understand the documents. We cannot discuss the future responsibly while relying only on social-media narratives. We cannot expect unity while continuously reducing every political disagreement to tribal or organisational rivalry. And we cannot expect accountability without asking difficult but legitimate questions.
The Naga public deserves better political literacy. Our students deserve to understand their history. Our youth deserve to understand the agreements that may shape their future. Our elders deserve to see the political question move towards a meaningful conclusion.
A PUBLIC APPEAL
I appeal to the Naga people, particularly the younger generation, to educate ourselves about the Indo-Naga political issue.
Read the agreements. Study the history. Listen to different sides. Question responsibly. Do not allow political differences to become hatred among Nagas. Do not allow tribal identity to become a barrier to understanding a political question that affects the wider Naga community.
At the same time, the public should not be expected to remain silent indefinitely when fundamental questions about its political future remain unanswered.
We should ask, peacefully and democratically:
What has been agreed?
What remains unresolved?
Why has implementation not taken place?
What is the roadmap?
When will the people be given clarity?
These questions are not about creating conflict. They are about seeking understanding. They are about accountability. They are about the future.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 Framework Agreement was described by the Government of India as a historic development after decades of political conflict and dialogue. The 2017 Agreed Position became another important milestone. The Nagaland government and the State Assembly subsequently referred to the conclusion of talks in October 2019.
Years have passed since those milestones.
The central question remains unresolved in the eyes of the public: Where is the final political settlement?
This question should not be answered with another generation of uncertainty.
The Naga people deserve to understand the status of the agreements, the outstanding issues and the path towards implementation. The Government of India and the Naga political negotiating groups have a responsibility to communicate clearly with the people. The State Government, elected representatives and civil society also have a responsibility to facilitate informed public discussion. And we, the people, have a responsibility to educate ourselves.
The Indo-Naga political issue is not merely a chapter in our history. It is a question about our future.
Let us therefore discuss it with knowledge rather than rumours, with courage rather than fear, with unity rather than division, and with peace rather than confrontation.
The Naga people have waited for generations. The next generation deserves clarity. The agreements deserve serious consideration. The political process deserves accountability. And the people deserve to know the path from agreement to implementation.
