Senior national workers vouch for Framework Agreement

Dimapur, May 12 (EMN): In an attempting to assuage apprehension among the masses pertaining to the ‘Framework Agreement’ signed between the NSCN (IM) and Government of India (GoI), senior national workers from Nagaland state today said the agreement embraces all Nagas and their territories based on the uniqueness of Naga history.

Stating that the agreement speaks about recognition of the Naga identity and territories, the statement said it speaks about mutual recognition of sovereign rights of the two people clearly indicating that sovereignty of the Nagas lies with the Naga people and the sovereignty of India lies with the Indian people.

A statement appended by 81 persons consisting of kilonsers from various regions and steering members assured that the agreement do not betray the principle of the Nagas but will protect the right of the Nagas and guarantee the security of India as well as promote and strengthen harmonious interdependent relationship of the two nations.

The signatories expressed confident that it will open great opportunity for the Nagas to develop themselves into their fullest size – materially, intellectually, spiritually and socially.

Terming Nagas’ case as invasion, the signatories said it is a resistance movement against the aggressor states of India and Myanmar in defence of ‘our national principle.’ Also stating that our negotiation with the Government of India (GoI) is principle-based, it said the solution to the problem will also be principle-based, adding any political arrangement or solution that betrays the principle is a road block to the solution.

Also stating that Naga people continued their movement as past agreements and accords did not solve the problem, the signatories said, “It is pointless to glorify the people or the organisation who made the accords of treason; it is meaningless to shift the blame to the enemies who outwitted and out manoeuvred the authors of the accords; it is ridiculous to invoke the names of heaven and earth for the political mistakes one has made; it is unscrupulous to justify the political wrong one has done. One must have the courage to speak the truth and amend the mistakes he has made for the sake of the people.”

It said Naga people continued their movement under the banner of NSCN and have made many extraordinary achievements in course of their struggle. It said NSCN they fought back the aggressors with all their available resources and strength.

It stated that the historic ‘Framework Agreement’ was finally signed between NSCN and the GoI as two entities after decades of confrontations, punctuated with negotiations. It said the agreement embraces all Nagas and their territories based on the uniqueness of Naga history, adding it speaks about mutual recognition of sovereign rights of the two people. It went to state that the authors of the agreement further took the commendable step in making the wise decision for co-existence and shared-sovereignty of the two entities in order to arrive at an honourable and durable solution.

It, therefore, said Naga people have a lot of reasons to say thank you to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, his colleagues and RN Ravi, the Interlocutor of GoI and also equally thanked late Isak Chishi Swu, the Yaruiwo, Th. Muivah, Ato Kilonser and chief negotiator of NSCN, and his team for the historic ‘Framework Agreement’ signed on August 3, 2015.

It said the “framework agreement has turned the politics of confrontation and opposition into the politics of dialogue and cooperation; turned our enemies into our friends; turned repressing of our right into respect of our right; turned suppression of our right into recognition of our right; and turned the threat of our future into protection of our future.”

It expressed confident that the agreement would certainly heal the chronic scars of war and the wounds of oppression and persecution imprinted in the body and mind of the Nagas. Besides, it will rebuild the damaged psychology and broken relationship of the two people and provide ample opportunity to the two peoples to building a highway of peace and progress in the region in particular and the South East Asia in general.

It said rejection of this historic agreement will amount to murder of the precious second chance the good Lord has given to the Nagas.

Meanwhile, it expressed dismay to witness the communal and factional cards being played by the agencies of GoI, which cannot be justified at all when both the parties are looking for the genuine solution at the highest level. It hope that GoI and NSCN will overcome all these hurdles and come to a smooth landing and enable the Framework Agreement to open an era of peace and progress in the land.

Further, it took jibe at other people, who are trying to interpret the issue in terms of number and not truth. It said the Naga national issue must be defended at all costs and fought out even to the last man.

The signatories also reassured the neighbouring peoples and nations that the Nagas bear no ill-will towards any of them saying Nagas are for a harmonious interdependent relationship with them but on equal footing. It said the Framework Agreement is about the Indo-Naga political issue and about the Nagas and their territories.

It further stated that Naga people not to opposed to their issues but for a peaceful and harmonious relationship with them on the basis of mutual respect and recognition of their respective rights.

The press release was appended by the following officials :-