DIMAPUR, NOV 8: In a strong and fiery statement, Th Muivah, the General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), has issued an ultimatum to the Government of India, warning that the Naga insurgent group will resume armed resistance unless the terms of the 2015 Framework Agreement are honored.
The Framework Agreement, signed on August 3, 2015, marked a historic step towards resolving the Indo-Naga conflict, but Muivah claims the Government of India has since betrayed its letter and spirit, particularly by refusing to recognize the Naga national flag and constitution.
The Agreement was meant to address the Naga people’s demand for recognition of their unique history, sovereignty, and political rights. However, Muivah claims the Indian government’s failure to fulfill these commitments undermines the agreement and jeopardizes the peace process. He declared that unless India accepts the demands of the NSCN, which include recognition of the Naga flag and constitution, the NSCN-IM will no longer wait and will consider all options, including the resumption of armed resistance.
Related Posts:
“Gird yourself for any eventuality,” Muivah warned, emphasizing that the NSCN-IM would do everything necessary to protect Naga sovereignty, including taking up arms if required. He added that the Naga people’s commitment to their God-given freedom and sovereignty would not be undermined by any force, and they were prepared to defend it at all costs.
Muivah’s statement also recalled the 1997 ceasefire agreement that set the stage for more than 600 rounds of negotiations between the NSCN-IM and the Indian government. He highlighted previous agreements, such as the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of 2002 and the 2015 Framework Agreement, both of which he claims officially recognized Naga sovereignty and the Naga people’s right to self-determination. According to Muivah, these agreements established that Nagalim is not part of India, a position he asserts is being ignored by the Indian authorities.
The NSCN-IM leader further criticized the Indian government’s actions since the 2015 agreement, accusing it of deliberately trying to impose conditions that would lead to the surrender of Naga sovereignty. He warned that India’s refusal to honor the Framework Agreement would force the NSCN-IM to reconsider its approach to the peace talks, including the possibility of violent resistance.
In the statement, Muivah also proposed third-party intervention to mediate the dispute, but made it clear that if the Indian government rejects this option, the NSCN-IM would have no choice but to resume its fight for independence. “We will take whatever steps are necessary,” he affirmed, stressing that the Naga people’s historical right to self-determination and sovereignty is non-negotiable.
The Naga nationalist movement, led by the NSCN-IM, has long sought independence from India, arguing that Nagalim (the Naga homeland) has a distinct identity and was never part of India or Myanmar by consent or conquest. The NSCN-IM’s stance is that the Naga people’s sovereignty and unique history must be recognized in any final political agreement.
While the statement stops short of outlining the exact nature of the armed resistance, it marks a significant escalation in tensions between the NSCN-IM and the Indian government. Muivah’s words are likely to reverberate not just in Nagalim, but across the wider Northeast India region, where the Naga struggle for self-determination has been a long-running and contentious issue.
In closing, Muivah reaffirmed the NSCN-IM’s commitment to the Naga cause and to protecting its sovereignty against all odds, invoking divine support for the struggle. “Nagalim shall be for Christ,” he declared, signaling that the NSCN-IM views its political struggle as not just a nationalist cause, but a sacred mission.
As the situation develops, all eyes will be on the Government of India and whether it can reconcile the differences with the NSCN-IM, or if the decades-long insurgency will see a return to violence. The Naga people, for their part, continue to watch closely, hoping for a resolution that will honor their history and guarantee their future.
