NSCN (IM) elucidates Framework Agreement content

Dimapur, Dec. 16 (EMN): The NSCN (IM) Collective Leadership on Friday stated that the Framework Agreement (FA), which was signed in 2015, said "the government of India recognises the unique history and position of the Nagas".

Elucidating the content of FA, a statement signed by the group’s Collective Leadership -- Chairman Q Tuccu, Vice-Chairman Tongmeth Wangnao and General Secretary Th Muivah – said that “unique history” means Nagas were neither part of India nor Burma (Myanmar) or ‘any other powers by consent or by conquest’.

“Unique position” means the Nagalim issue is political and not law and order problem of India, it continued.

“Government of India admits the historical fact that the sovereign Naga people had not accepted the Indian constitution, and they do not accept it,” read the statement, adding that the option of solving the Naga political issue on the basis of the principle of shared-sovereignty was proposed when Dr. Manmohan was the prime minister but was ‘subsequently signed under the leadership of the present Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on August 3, 2015’.

“By shared-sovereignty, it means - the sovereign Indian people and the sovereign Naga people will share sovereign power in some areas as defined in the competencies,” it explained.

“Recognizing the national identity of the Nagas and admitting that the Naga people had rejected Union of India offered to them by the Constituent Assembly of India, the Government of India proposed for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities.

“By inclusive, it means - it embraces all Nagas wherever they are including all political groups.

By new relationship, it means - a new relationship based on the Framework Agreement.

“By co-existence of the two entities, it means - coexistence of two peoples -Indian people and Naga people,” it added.

On the questions of Naga national flag and constitution, the NSCN Collective Leadership said the Indian leaders know that these are constituent parts of sovereignty and that “there should be no ambiguity about it

“Hence, competencies are being worked out on the principle of the Framework Agreement,” it added.