In a rare joint statement issued on Friday, three top NSCN-IM leaders provided explanation on the content of the Framework Agreement which was signed on August 3, 2015.
The joint statement was signed by NSCN-IM chairman Q Tuccu, NSCN-IM vice chairman Tongmeth Wangnao and general secretary Th Muivah.
According to the statement, the Framework Agreement says, "The government of India recognizes the unique history and position of the Nagas."
The joint statement also stated that 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, it added.
The joint statement of the three NSCN-IM leaders stated that, by unique position, it means - position and situation of Nagalim is political. “It is a case of invasion on Nagalim by India, not law and order problem of India,” it also said.
“It says, ‘Both sides have understood each other's respective positions and are cognizant of the universal principle that in a democracy sovereignty lies with the people’", the joint statement said, adding, “And that, it is an acknowledged fact that the sovereignty of Nagalim lies with the Naga people”.
According to the joint statement, the Government of India “admits” the historical fact that the “sovereign Naga people” had not accepted the Indian Constitution, and they do not accept it.
The joint statement also said that acknowledging the position of the Nagas and appreciating the intricacies of the Indian system, the Government of India, during the tenure of the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, proposed the option of solving the problem on the basis of the principle of shared-sovereignty, which was subsequently signed under the leadership of the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 3, 2015.
By shared-sovereignty, it means the sovereign Indian people and the sovereign Naga people will share sovereign power in some areas as defined in the competencies, the joint statement said.
The joint statement then said that recognizing the national identity of the Nagas and admitting that the Naga people had rejected the Union of India offered to them by the Constituent - Assembly of India, the Government of India proposed for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful coexistence of the two entities.
The joint statement also said, “By inclusive, it means - it embraces all Nagas wherever they are including all political groups”.
It added, “By new relationship, it means a new relationship based on the Framework Agreement”.
“By coexistence of the two entities, it means - coexistence of two peoples- Indian people and Naga people,” the joint statement of the three NSCN-IM leaders added.
On the questions of ‘Naga National flag and constitution’, “it is a common knowledge known to the Indian leaders too that flag and constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty,” the statement also said, adding, the statement added that there should be no ambiguity about it.
“Hence, competencies are being worked out on the principle of the Framework Agreement,” it further added.
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