Accountability needed on Naga Reconciliation
Ever since the epic Naga Reconciliation meeting held on February 29, 2012, one of the biggest Naga public gathering in recent times, called by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), many important resolutions have been made and endorsed by the Naga public. All this was also highlighted in the local media. One of the oft repeated resolution, which has been perhaps modified to factor in the new reality, states that the “historical and political rights of the Nagas should form the basis of any political solution and that any negotiation process must focus on how Nagas can determine, safeguard and exercise their historical and political rights in a contemporary and inter-related world”. The meeting also resolved for immediate cessation of armed confrontations and hostilities between Naga political groups and the leaders present, in their speeches affirmed that they were committed to reconciliation. All these things have been made known to the Naga people raising new hope and expectation. Even the FNR Convenor was optimistic that the “Naga political groups have torn down the wall of separation built over time by accumulated hatred, bitterness, malice and slander”. So in that sense the February 29 meeting was successful as it brought the different stakeholders together and helped in drawing up some form of a roadmap in order to assist in taking the reconciliation process forward and also forming some kind of consensus on the Naga political talks with the Government of India. Now obviously the negative developments appearing in the newspapers such as cancellation of the latest Chiang Mai peace meet has raised concern among the people. How far the process has moved on (ever since the February 29 public meeting) is not known to the people. It is for the FNR and the concern groups to honestly reflect where they are going. But our question is also this: shouldn’t the people also have the right to know what is going on with all the resolution about, ‘Naga concordant’, ‘shared future’, ‘one nation one people’ etc.
If people are indeed supreme and ‘sovereignty lies with the people’, then the Naga groups must listen to the voice of the people or revert back to the people if they are faced with some difficulty. It is also high time that the Naga people get some update about the decision taken sometime in August 2011 by top leaders of the three political groups—NSCN/GPRN, GPRN/NSCN and NNC/FGN who had publicly resolved to push ahead with the formation of one Naga National Government. And to expedite this process of eventually forming the Naga National Government, a High Level Commission of the three groups was formed and it was decided that it shall hold meetings without any further delay in the presence of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation as facilitators. It is now nine months and high time to talk about the progress made. Then around this same time another six point joint statement was signed on August 25, 2011 by the three political groups. Among the significant decisions taken, included the resolve that “any interim arrangement of the political rights of the Nagas shall be outside of the purview of the Indian Constitution per se”. Also it “affirms to work for the territorial integrity of all Nagas”. It also “Agreed to Strengthen and Broaden the Peace Process based on the Uniqueness of Naga History”. So you see there has been a lot of a resolution made, joint statements signed etc. but the question also arises whether we are following them or making the effort to stand by our declaration. Naga people are not so demanding or unreasonable but they do want to see some accountability otherwise the credibility of the current processes come under doubt and people’s faith in our leaders will be shaken.
