In a scathing editorial published in the latest edition of its mouthpiece, Nagalim Voice editorial, the outfit lamented that the historic Framework Agreement (FA) that has passed over eight years has become a farce as India keeps talking away from implementing by creating alibi using Naga national flag and constitution as the issues.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
NSCN(IM) did not hold back its disappointment and frustration at the Indo-Naga political talks and said that the high-profile Indo-Naga political talks were turned into politics of treachery, deceit and backstabbing. In a scathing editorial published in the latest edition of its mouthpiece, Nagalim Voice editorial, the outfit lamented that the historic Framework Agreement (FA) that has passed over eight years has become a farce as India keeps talking away from implementing by creating alibi using Naga national flag and constitution as the issues.
Maintaining that the FA is a political agreement between two entities (two nations) and provides no scope for making issue out of non-negotiable flag and constitution, it said India brought forth these two issues to heckle NSCN leaders. With the passage of time, disloyalty to FA by the government of India took centre stage of the Indo-Naga political talks, it alleged.
The editorial with the headline, “Is India Resorting to an act of brinkmanship?” stated that when the historic Framework Agreement (FA) of 3rd August 2015 was signed it was accorded a high-profile political status giving the agreement a sovereign character driven by the time-honored historical truth, the unique history and political situation officially recognized by the Government of India.
It further stated that FA was hailed as a milestone achievement for the final resolution of the Indo-Naga political conflict. The presence of top political leaders and chief of Indian Army from the government of India led by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and equally matched by many high-ranking dignitaries from NSCN led by General Secretary/Prime Minister Th Muivah was witnessed by worldwide political leaders as the signing ceremony was live-broadcast worldwide to make the world bear witness of the agreement that bears huge political significance for India and Nagalim as the over 70 years old Naga political issue stands on the threshold of final solution.
The editorial charged that the ironic is, 7 years later, infidelity to the Naga political truth was exposed to the world when the government of India organizes the afterthought agreement with the NNPGs. All the left-out Naga political groups were brought under the umbrella group NNPGs and made to sign the Agreed Position as per the whims of the government of India. It was signed in a hush-hush manner. The irony is, it was a kind of agreement that surrendered under the Indian constitution, to keep alive the 16 Point Memorandum, it added.
The editorial asserted that NSCN negotiating team under the chief negotiator Th. Muivah, however, proved themselves as hard nuts to crack as they responded with infinite contempt and abhorrence, driving home the point in no uncertain terms that Naga flag and constitution, the symbolic identity of the Naga people as a nation are not to be treated like commercial commodities. “Indeed, flag and constitution with divine connection are sacrosanct to the Nagas! And NSCN shall stand defending to the last man standing!,” it added.