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‘Ball in Centre’s court’: NSCN-IM on eve of anniversary of Framework Agreement
NSCN-IM said the framework agreement with the Centre was entering six years without any follow-up action by the government to concretize the agreement into a solid official document
KOHIMA: On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Framework Agreement signed between the Union government and the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN I-M) on August 3, 2015, to resolve the protracted Naga political issue, the NSCN (IM) has called upon the Centre to execute the agreement with “all honesty” and not resort to misinterpretation to suit its convenience.
In a statement on Monday, the Naga armed group said the framework agreement was entering six years without any follow-up action by the Centre to concretize the agreement into a solid official document as a transitional arrangement for the final settlement of the Naga political issue.
“Six years waiting is a long period in any sense of the term. Given the complexity of the issue, Naga people are, however, patient enough waiting for GoI (government of India) to act upon its own commitment. The ball is, therefore, with the court of the Government of India, and not with the NSCN,” the statement said.
The outfit, which has been in a ceasefire agreement with the government since 1997, maintained that the framework agreement was the fruition of gruelling rounds of discussions to set the “Indo-Naga political talks” on firm footing to take the Naga peace process to an honourable and acceptable conclusion for both parties.
“It was after more than ten years of negotiation following the official recognition of the unique history and situation of the Nagas when the talks reached deadlock-like situation with no side willing to compromise as both the Indian and Naga leaders took their respective parallel stands never to meet whatsoever. The stand of the GoI was – ‘solution within the parameter of the Indian Constitution and Union of India’, whereas the stand of the Nagas was-‘nothing to do with India, nothing short of total independence and total sovereignty. Finally, after a long series of talks, the Government of India proposed the Framework Agreement as a formula of win-win solution (sic),” the NSCN (IM) statement said.
The statement pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now being carefully watched if he would live up to his “high profile Framework Agreement speech” where he is said to have mentioned that the Nagas and the people of India have continued to look at each other through the prism of false perception and old prejudices, but the signing of the Framework Agreement was a shining example of what can be achieved when both parties dealt with each other in a spirit of equality and respect, trust and confidence and leave the path of the dispute to take the high road of dialogue.
The group maintained that in order to find a “lasting Naga solution”, the Centre will have to look through the prism of the Framework Agreement and no other way.
“Prime Minister Modi had shown his confidence and pride in signing the FA that he made it sure that the signing ceremony is live-telecast to make the whole world witness the historic agreement. He even generated much amusement among the opposition parties when he informed them that he had solved the longest-running insurgency movement in Southeast Asia by the stroke of a pen signing the Framework Agreement,” the NSCN (IM) stated while underscoring that PM Modi should appoint his representatives to take the agreement to a logical conclusion.
“There is no point talking with the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), GoI as the informal talk is leading to nowhere other than beating around the bush,” it asserted.
“It is our conviction that only the principle of the Framework Agreement is the key to an honourable and acceptable solution for durable peace. Neither economic packages nor imposed political packages will bring about a lasting solution. There are no other tangible options we can conceive,” the statement further said.
The delay in signing the final pact to seal the Naga peace process under the aegis of the Framework Agreement was widely attributed to the NSCN (IM)’s resolute demand for a separate Naga flag and constitution (Yehzabo), which, the outfit holds strongly that they represented the unique history and political identity of the Nagas.
“Without the Naga national flag and Yehzabo, everything discussed and agreed upon shall be nullified,” it stated.
The NSCN (IM) has also announced protests against the Centre “for keeping silent” on the Framework Agreement, by calling for a total closure of shops and business establishments in Nagalim (all Naga inhabited areas) for 12 hours on August 3 till noon.
