Staff Reporter
Dimapur, August 14 (EMN): After repeated proclamations that the Indo-Naga political talks have reached ‘final stage’ of negotiation, the NSCN (IM) on Monday revealed that the two negotiating parties were only 10% away from striking a final deal.
Rh Raising, convener of the NSCN (IM) steering committee – which is the outfit’s highest decision making body – said that the ‘final stage’ has left “almost 90%” of the negotiation process between the group and the government of India completed.
“We have drafted, they have drafted and exchanged our point of view(s). We have decided what we have already agreed (upon), now we are in the final stage. Almost 90% is completed, so we have yet to work on some papers”, he told a group of journalists after the celebration of 71st Naga Independence Day held at Hebron camp on Monday.
When reminded of the numerous calls from various quarters to the NSCN (IM) to reveal the contents of the framework agreement signed with the government of India, Raising responded: “It has already been declared.
“It is about recognition of sovereign rights of the Nagas, it is about recognition of the identity of the Nagas, it is about the territory of the Nagas, it is about the integration of the Nagas. And all has been done”, he said.
The framework agreement, according to Raising, covers “all issues”.
Recently in the Upper House, the union minister of state for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju had declared that the framework agreement does not affect other NE states. It would be interesting to observe how the negotiators from both parties have navigated through these seemingly contrasting stances.
During the celebration, Raising also presented a lengthy insight into the journey of the peace process – stretching right from when the Naga people first declared their independence on August 14, 1947 to the signing of the framework agreement on August 3, 2015.
He recalled how “with an eye to dampen the spirit of Naga nationalism”, Jawaharlal Nehru had struck a “bogus agreement called the 16-point agreement” in 1963 with a few Naga bureaucrats. “Realising that the government of India had made the agreement with the wrong people, it initiated peace process through mediation of Nagaland Baptist Church Council and signed a cease-fire agreement with the Naga government on the 6th of September 1964, even before the ink of the 16-point agreement ran dry.”
Raising also made a special mention of The Netherlands while acknowledging “quite laudable” political supports received from those he described as “well wisher countries”.
The framework agreement, he stated, would be the beginning of a new relationship between the Nagas and India. “We need India in many ways as much as India needs us”.
The speech of Gen (Rtd) Kholi, the vice-president of NSCN (IM) was read by the outfit’s kilo kilonser, Hukavi Yepthomi, who was also the chief guest of the occasion.
Various Naga civil organisations including the Naga Hoho, NMA, NSF, ENPO, UNC, NCD, Zeliangrong Baudi NC Hills (from Assam), Tirap-Changlang-Longding Peoples’ Forum ( from Arunachal Pradesh), UNTABA and the rights group, NPMHR reaffirmed their support to the framework agreement, while reiterating the call for inclusiveness in the final solution.
The NMA president, Abieu Meru also reminded the NSCN (IM) that the women organisation’s call for inclusiveness also contains ‘gender equity’ translated as ‘inclusion and representation of women in the decision-making process’.
According Gideon Kamei, the president of UNC, Naga people ‘need to know who is holding the fort, which group is holding the fort’.
The celebration was punctuated by special numbers, a display of traditional trumpet blowing and an eye-catching performance of a military drill by the Naga army.
