The NSCN (I-M) on Friday said that “Naga political rights upheld as sacrosanct is inviolable". It also said that any Naga political group seeking Naga political solution under the terms of the Indian constitution would be repeating the past mistakes and tantamount to violating the sanctity of “God given Naga political rights”.
In a statement, it stated that for the NSCN (I-M), spearheading the Naga political movement, the signing of 1997 India-Naga Ceasefire and the starting of political talks as invited by the Government of India had huge political implications. It was meant to make redundant the past political decisions and do away with factors extraneous to the India-Naga political issue, it further said. Thus, Article 371(A) as inserted into the Part XXI of the Indian Constitution in the year 1962 or 16 Point Agreement of 1960, no longer bears any political meaning as the historic Framework Agreement signed between the Nagas as represented by NSCN and Government of India on August 3, 2015 has come into existence to nullify all the past acts of injustice to the Nagas and bring new solution/agreement that is honorable and acceptable, the NSCN-IM also said. The Framework Agreement was not signed in a clandestine manner, it added. It took as many as 13 years of tough negotiations after the Government of India granted official recognition to the uniqueness of Naga history and situation in 2002, the NSCN (I-M) further said.
The NSCN (I-M) then said Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was so much carried away by such political achievement that he made the arrangement to make the world bear living witness to the signing of the Framework Agreement as the high profile signing ceremony was live-telecast worldwide. “Going further, he called up all top political leaders of different political parties to share with them that he has solved the longest insurgency issue in Southeast Asia. But the irony is that Prime Minister Modi is still not around to implement his brainchild Framework Agreement even after more than seven years,” the NSCN (I-M) also said.
“Naturally, it was a tough going for NSCN,” it also stated. “But when the going gets tough, the tough gets going,” it stated.
According to the NSCN (I-M), in response to the unpredictable situation as reflected by the attitude of the Government of India, indulging in delaying tactics under one pretext or the other, without any demonstrative commitment to implement what has been agreed upon at highest level, NSCN put on record to call for Naga National Assembly on May 31, 2022 wherein a resolute stand was taken that it shall never deviate from the Naga national principle at any cost and uphold and protect the unique history. “This implies that under no circumstances the core issues of Naga National Flag and Constitution (Yehzabo) that symbolized the Naga National identity will be compromised in the name of Naga political solution”, it added.
“Significantly, the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement is very sharp and clear,” said the NSCN (I-M). According to the NSCN (I-M), the Framework Agreement says, “The government of India recognizes the unique history and position of the Nagas.” By unique history, it means- the Nagas have the history of independence. The Nagas have neither been a part of the Union of India nor that of Burma (Myanmar), nor any other powers by consent or by conquest. Flag and constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty. There is no ambiguity about it, the NSCN (I-M) added.
