HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Aug 14: NSCN (IM) general secretary Th Muivah on
Monday said the government of India had officially
acknowledged the issue of integration of all Naga areas as the
legitimate right of the Nagas and that it will be finalised
accordingly.
Addressing the 77 th Naga Independence Day celebration at the
NSCN (IM) council headquarters at Hebron, Muivah said after
18 year-long political talks, the government of India and the
National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) finally signed the
historic Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015, on the
foundation of recognition of the unique history and sovereignty
of the Nagas, and shared sovereignty and coexistence of the
two entities.
Claiming that the NSCN (IM) is the one and only authentic
political organisation of the Naga people, he said the
agreement is a mutually agreed official document.
“This Framework Agreement is our legacy. We must defend
what we have achieved with our own sweat and blood,” he
stressed.
On separate Naga flag and constitution, Muivah, who is leading
the NSCN in talks with the government of India, said these are
“naturally inseparable” from the sovereignty of a people.
“It is universally an accepted truth that the flag and constitution
are constituent parts of sovereignty. There is no ambiguity
about it.
“The Indian leaders understand it too. They must take the stand
to speak the truth,” he added.
The framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by
Muivah and government interlocutor for Naga peace talks R N
Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Greeting the Naga people on the occasion, Muivah said the
Nagas are proud of their past dynamic leaders who took the
right decision in declaring the Naga national independence on
August 14, 1947, on the eve of the British departure from
British India.
“It was a historic step that gives new meaning to the Naga
national identity and saved the future of the Nagas,” he said.
Muivah added the Naga people reaffirmed their national
decision to remain a sovereign independence Nagalim rejecting
the offer of the Union of India and that of Burma.
He went on to say that the Naga national assembly, upholding
the national decision, rejected and condemned both the so-
called 16-point memorandum and the Shillong Accord as
treacherous acts of treason.
“The heart of the matter is that the Nagas are a sovereign
people, who have been living in their own land from time
immemorial,” he said.
Muivah reiterated that the Naga national resistance movement
is all about defending the inherent sovereign right of the Nagas
and their land.
The Centre is not willing to accept the demands apparently
because it had abrogated Article 370 which gave a special
status to Jammu and Kashmir. With the annulment of the
special status in 2019, the separate flag and the Constitution of
Jammu and Kashmir cease to exist.
Besides the framework agreement with the NSCN(IM), the
Centre also inked an Agreed Position with Naga National
Political Groups (NNPGs) comprising seven organisations
(NNPGs) in December 2017.
He said Nagas are proud of their past dynamic leaders who
decided in declaring the Naga National Independence on
August 14, 1947, on the eve of the departure of the British from
colonial India.
“It was a historic step that gave a new meaning to the Naga
National identity and saved the future of the Nagas,” he said.
A number of Naga people from various states also came to
Kohima to take part in the ‘independence day’ programme,
with inputs from PTI.
