DIMAPUR, Feb 13: While stating that the “political wisdom” exhibited by 21 Members of Parliament (MPs) on the “never ending” Naga political talks between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) has once again brought the Framework Agreement into focus, the NSCN-IM, through a press release recently said, “Given the geopolitical importance of Nagalim, and the commitment of NSCN for peaceful political solution, the Government of India must send the right signal across the northeast region and not let the fragile situation turn into fireball by not taking forward the Framework Agreement to logical conclusion”.
Significantly, the NSCN-IM said that, when the historic Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 was signed it hyped up many expectations and imagination as it opened up new horizons towards meeting the political aspirations of the Nagas. The NSCN-IM also said it created the much needed breathing space for both the negotiating parties, before starting taking the next crucial steps. The NSCN-IM further said there was excitement and not exasperation on the side of the Government of India as reflected by the speech given by the Prime Minister of India during the signing ceremony. “Accepting the political point scored, the Framework Agreement signing ceremony was given high profile political status with the world as the witness via the live-telecast,” the NSCN-IM added in a statement.
What is politically significant about the Framework Agreement in the political circle is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took pride in calling up all political leaders of India to announce his achievement in solving the elusive Naga political issue, the longest insurgency movement in Southeast Asia as he claimed in excitement, the NSCN-IM press note said.
“Naturally, the delay that has crossed 27 years triggered the expected apprehensions and the lack of sincerity on the part of the government of India,” it further stated.
The NSCN-IM then expressed its gratitude to the 21 MPs wanting to know the exact status surrounding the Indo-Naga political talks based on Framework Agreement. “This should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the architect of Framework Agreement, to prove his standing on the Naga political issue he has brilliantly orchestrated
in 2015 right in his official residence, New Delhi,” the NSCN-IM added.
The statement then said, “Needless to say, it doesn’t merit Framework Agreement to be compared with the Agreed Position signed with the RN.Ravi’s created group, W/NNPGs. This Agreed Position is nothing but a coloration of Article 371A of the Indian Constitution as craftily handled by the Indian agencies. As repeatedly uttered by NNPGs, negotiations between the Government of India and NNPGs have already been concluded on October 31, 2019.
Certainly, it is difficult to find the meeting point between Framework Agreement and Agreed Position”.
According to the NSCN-IM, the Naga political groups under the banner of Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) have taken the historic decision to stand by the covenant of reconciliation based on the historical and political rights of the Nagas and appended their signatures on the recognition of Simon’s Commission, 1929, declaration of Naga Independent 1947 and plebiscite 1951. “It will be an act of betrayal if we go back against our vow before the Creator God to seek Naga solution under the Indian constitution”, the NSCN-IM affirmed.
Taking cognizance of the legitimacy of the Naga political movement spearheaded by National Socialist Council of Nagalim(NSCN-IM),the Indo-Naga political talks have passed through the hands of six successive Prime Ministers of India, the NSCN-IM recalled. In expression of their seriousness to the Naga political issue that has dragged on for too long, three former prime ministers, VP Singh, Chandra Shekhar and Deve Gowda jointly issued a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Thailand to give their sincere support to the Naga political talks, the NSCN-IM also said.
The NSCN-IM also said that, it is highly indignant to recollect the traces of betrayal by “our own Naga representatives in Indian Parliament, who made mockery of the sanctity of the Naga political issue by denying before the august house of the Indian Parliament that there is no such issue in Nagaland”. The NSCN-IM then stated that this statement was made by none other than Apok Jamir when Swaraj Kaushal raised the Naga issue not making any progress. According to the NSCN-IM press release, Apok Jamir snubbed the whole Nagas “as he feigned ignorance of the seriousness of the delayed Naga political talks”. The Naga issue came up while debating on the extension of Indo-Naga ceasefire in Manipur in the year 2001, July, it added. (NNN)