Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland criticised delays in the Indo-Naga issue, urging immediate implementation of agreements and an end to prolonged talks.
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DIMAPUR — With frustration mounting over years of stalled progress, the Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN) on Monday warned against what it termed “endless negotiations” on the Naga political issue, urging both the state and Centre to move decisively towards implementing already-signed agreements instead of prolonging talks.
Following its general body meeting held on March 21 in Dimapur, the forum expressed concern over the prolonged delay in resolving the Naga political issue despite the signing of the Framework Agreement with NSCN (IM) in 2015 and the Agreed Position with WC-NNPG in 2017.
It pointed out that negotiations between the government of India and Naga groups have spanned nearly three decades.
The CNFN stated that formal talks had effectively concluded on October 31, 2019, as announced by then Governor and interlocutor RN Ravi during his addresses to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in 2020 and 2021.
Also read: CNFN questions call to ‘resume’ Naga talks; urges implementation of 2015, 2017 agreements
Since then, no new interlocutor has been appointed, and the issue has seen little discussion in the Assembly, it added.
Against this backdrop, the forum criticised recent moves by the state’s Political Affairs Committee to “resume” or “upgrade” the talks to a political level, alleging that such steps risk prolonging the process indefinitely and undermining the agreements already reached.
The forum also raised alarm over the growing number of factions—now exceeding 30—since the signing of the agreements, linking this proliferation to increased instances of violence and illegal activities.
Read more: NSCN (IM) @47: Naga group fires ‘betrayal’ salvo at Delhi
It alleged that under the pretext of an unresolved issue, systems of “syndicates” and “percentage cuts” have taken root across both public and private sectors, placing a heavy burden on citizens.
Describing the situation as a “pseudo peace,” the CNFN pointed out that the state’s economy has stagnated while neighbouring states continue to advance, leaving Nagaland grappling with widespread corruption, socio-economic strain and public disillusionment.
Calling out the opposition-less government, the forum urged it to “wake up from its slumber” and fulfil its role as a facilitator of the peace process.
It cautioned against “hypocritical games” and stressed the need for practical action over rhetoric.
The CNFN appealed to the state government to formally endorse the two agreements through a resolution in the upcoming Assembly session and called on the government of India to implement them without further delay, delivering the long-awaited political solution to the Naga people.