The Concern Naga Forum of Nagaland questioned calls to resume Naga talks, urging implementation of the Framework Agreement of 2015 and the Agreed Position of 2017.
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DIMAPUR — The newly formed Concern Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN) has questioned the call to resume and upgrade the Indo-Naga political negotiations, asserting that the talks were officially concluded in 2019 and urging implementation of the Framework Agreement of 2015 and the Agreed Position of 2017.
In a public declaration dated March 2, the forum stated that the political negotiations, which began under the 1997 and 2001 ceasefires between the Government of India (GoI) and the Naga political groups (NPGs), culminated in the two agreements and were formally declared completed on October 31, 2019.
Referring to statements made by the then Interlocutor and Nagaland Governor RN Ravi in January 2020 and February 2021 regarding the official closure of negotiations, the CNFN said the “logical conclusion of 29 years of political negotiations” should now follow.
Fed-Up Nagas urges implementation of Naga political agreements
The forum criticised the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Government of Nagaland’s call to resume and upgrade negotiations was a “misnomer”, stating that such a position belittles what has already been achieved. It cautioned against attempts to reopen what it described as closed chapters through indefinite negotiations and asserted that a quarter of a century is sufficient time for any negotiation process.
Stating that sovereignty and integration are excluded from the scope of solution under the two agreements, the CNFN also questioned continued emphasis on integration and a Pan-Naga platform. It cited the Representation of 14 Tribes of Nagaland submitted to the Prime Minister of India on December 17, 2019, which opposed the concept of a Pan-Naga Hoho with sweeping powers without territorial integration.
The forum said the fate of the negotiations has been placed “in jeopardy” by the state government’s “double talk” in facilitation, “lackadaisical attitude of NSCN(IM) towards its own Framework Agreement and the lack of political will on the part of the GoI.” It further stated that the situation has reached a “boiling point” with public patience running out.
Addressing the GoI, the CNFN called for a clear roadmap with defined timelines to operationalise the agreed competencies and institutional arrangements, and urged restoration of rule of law, accountability and financial transparency in the proposed political dispensation. It said political settlement cannot coexist with corruption, parallel taxation or overlapping administration.
To the state government, the forum urged the passing of a resolution in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly seeking finalisation of the solution based on the two agreements. It also called upon the Naga political groups to uphold their agreements “in letter and spirit” with maturity and transparency.
The CNFN stated that it was formed by like-minded elders after consultations with representatives from different sections of the state, with the aim of voicing the concerns of common people and ensuring that the political process does not remain indefinitely prolonged. It affirmed its aspiration for lasting peace and said it would pursue its objectives through democratic and political processes under the guiding principle of “Peace for development of identity, culture, security and progress.”