The Naga dream started in 1918 with the formation of the Naga Club by enlightened Naga Labour Corps returning from Europe driven by realisation of the need for a Naga entity.
The Naga dream started in 1918 with the formation of the
Naga Club by enlightened Naga Labour Corps returning from Europe driven by
realisation of the need for a Naga entity. The struggle of the Naga freedom
movement went through the process of talks, negotiations and throes of bloody
phases resulting in the signing of many agreements significantly, the 16-Point
Agreement. This agreement gave the Nagas, for the first time, a formal physical
political entity called Nagaland State encompassing the Naga Hills and Tuensang
area in Assam. This was supposed to be the first step followed by hope of
integration of contiguous Naga areas as Nagas inhabitation starting from the
sub-Himalayan mountains in the north down to the Patkai mountain ranges in the
south.
In the process of creation of the State of Nagaland, the
16-Point Agreement gave hope to Naga tribes living in Assam including North
East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and Manipur for integration at the appropriate time
in future as provided under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution. The hope of
integration dangled to Nagas living in areas contagious to the new State
fuelled the aspirations of many Nagas driven by the desire for unification.
Hope for unification of all Naga-inhabited areas was the
dream incorporated in the 16-Point Agreement as circumstances prevailing at
that juncture confined the creation of the State of Nagaland to Naga-inhabited
areas only within Assam State. The freedom movement continued for several
decades with varying degrees of resonance among different Naga tribes,
especially Naga areas of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, living around the
periphery of Nagaland. The political efforts to end hostilities towards peace
yielded result in 1997 with the signing of a ceasefire agreement and 18 years
later the signing of the Framework Agreement in 2015. However, the vagueness of
the Framework Agreement has resulted in conflicting interpretations and the
euphoria felt at that time of signing agreement has started to evaporate.
Optimistic speculation of a political settlement for the Nagas is fading and
pessimistic thoughts have started to creep in with the possibility of the peace
talks breaking down looming large.
Making matters worse is the fact that the deliberations of
the Nagas peace talks is kept secret and the contours of various understandings
arrived at in the last 27 years of innumerable talks is a mystery. The endless
talks have become farcical as middle rung bureaucrats of government of India
(GoI) are deputed to attend the meetings, while the Naga counterparts are
mostly represented by their top brass. Fully aware that the peace accord can
only result as a political settlement, it is stupefying why endless number of
peace talks is taking place with middle rung bureaucrats without any political
leader from the Union Cabinet. Talking to middle rung bureaucrats is expected
to only yield results within the contours of the Constitution of India, while a
political settlement outside the ambit of the Constitution of India would be
possible with the involvement of the Prime Minister or his nominee of Union
Cabinet Minister rank.
The veteran Naga politician, Mr. SC Jamir has stated that
from his understanding of the Framework Agreement, the Naga negotiating party
has given up their demand for sovereignty and integration of Naga inhabited
areas. He also stated that demand for Flag and Constitution is not within in
the Indian Constitution. J&K no longer enjoy this preferential treatment
anymore. The struggle for Naga unification comprising of all Naga areas has
been going on for almost a century, but hopes of achieving that idea of the
pioneering fathers of Naga embedded in the 16-Point Agreement for unification
of all Naga areas still remains a dream. The likelihood of realising that dream
seems to recede with the passage of time. Numerous undercurrents exist now with
competing and conflicting goals making it very difficult to negotiate the
complexity of the Naga dream. Under this scenario, Naga people have started to
wonder about what Mr SC Jamir is saying based on his understanding of the Naga
peace efforts which may start resonating with the Naga people and complicate
the pursuit of peaceful settlement.
The Indian nation has witnessed the peaceful resolution of
the Mizos struggle which started in 1966 and ended with the creation of a State
in 1986. The entire Mizo struggle and peace finalisation of political
settlement took just 20 years to crystallise. The Mizo struggle did not involve
the type of extortions, corruption, maintenance of a huge standing force, vast
territory and interference in politics unlike the Naga struggle creating
numerous undercurrents and vested interests complicating the quest for peace.
Even after 27 years of ceasefire and talks it is not clear to anyone what has
been discussed and what is on the table. It seems that the peace talk is at the
crossroads and could result in revitalised negotiations with positive
conclusion or a complete breakdown.
There appears to be various options:
(1) If resolution of the Naga peace talks is to be made
within the framework of the Constitution of India, a demand could be made for
integration of all Naga areas contiguous to Nagaland State as provided under
Article 3 of the Constitution and stated in Point 13 of the 16-Point Agreement.
(2) If integration has been given up as stated by Mr. SC
Jamir, a settlement for a full fledged State for the Naga areas which are not
part of Nagaland State could be considered. However, the demand for a new State
of Nagas outside Nagaland is fraught with risk and may proof to be the nemesis
of the freedom fighters as they will be seen as traitors. Retribution is feared
by the Naga freedom fighters from Manipur and this risk may be dissuading them
from asking for a separate state. But, asking for a new state could be a way
forward to solve the Naga peace process as creation of such political entity is
available under the Constitution of India. The Nagas of Nagaland could however
suggest to the Naga peace negotiators to ask for a separated state for Nagas of
Manipur and Assam while Arunachal Naga areas is integrated into Nagaland and
such idea coming from Nagaland could be pragmatic, more acceptable and faces
lesser risk of retribution. While stating this, it should be made to understand
that the idea of a separate state for Nagas of Manipur and Assam living outside
Nagaland should be understood from the fact that they face suppression,
subjugation and exploitation from the dominant community in their states and this
fact cannot be ignored. A separate state or UT for the suffering Nagas of
Manipur and Assam and integration of Nagas of Arunachal could free them from
the second citizen like situation faced by them in their states.
(3) However, if the desire is to allow status-qou to remain
and not rock the boat of any State, then the Naga peace negotiators can ask for
autonomous Naga Regional Territories within respective States with empowered
financial, legislative and administrative powers that may be needed to function
efficiently and effectively.
(4) If it is a new structure of Union and State federal
relationship that is desired with “shared sovereignty” in mind, the demand
should be voiced in a meeting with the Prime Minister or his nominee from the
Union Cabinet to have an in-depth deliberation.
Talks at the highest level may be the best step forward to
untangle the mess left behind by the numerous Interlocutors and middle rung
bureaucrats. The Naga negotiators need to contemplate and decide on the best
option before them and embark upon that path as 27 years of endless talks
without any clarity is fast beginning to look like a cruel joke.
There is an increasing risk that the Naga peace effort,
which has bogged down, could collapse. Nothing is clear and there is no light
at the end of the tunnel. Fresh energy in the talks can only be infused if a
single meeting with the Prime Minister is facilitated or a political bigwig
with specific sanction and mandate nominated by the Prime Minister for a
meeting with the top Naga negotiator and usher in a New Dawn for a decisive
conclusion of the longest freedom struggle in recent history.
