The WC-NNPG welcomed the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority deal but said it must align with the larger Indo–Naga political settlement.
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DIMAPUR — The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) has welcomed the February 5 tripartite agreement that paved the way for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for eastern Nagaland, while reminding the signatories that the arrangement must be viewed within the context of the broader unresolved Indo–Naga political issue.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the WC-NNPG said the agreement signed between the government of India, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) and the Nagaland government has “rekindled hope” in eastern Nagaland and represents a “timely correction of the historical injustice” endured by the people of the region. It described the development as “a powerful reminder that the will of the people is supreme.”
The Working Committee said the new arrangement must “realign and calibrate” long-neglected administrative and economic lapses in eastern Nagaland. It added that it is the responsibility of eastern Nagas to evolve an “ingenious, independent and transparent mechanism” to ensure that what has been agreed on paper translates into tangible progress on the ground.
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While acknowledging the FNTA announcement, the WC-NNPG cautioned that there remains a larger, unresolved Indo–Naga political issue encompassing the entire Naga ancestral homeland. It recalled that negotiations had “officially concluded” on October 31, 2019, and said that “clear negotiated charters” are currently on the tables of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The statement said the “Status Paper” arising from the talks is inclusive of Nagas in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and asserted that “New Delhi and Kohima are on the same page.” It added that if the Nagaland state government has a separate agenda to negotiate with the Centre and seeks a new interlocutor, “that is a different matter.”
Reiterating its position as a negotiating entity, the WC, NNPGs said it is “absolutely clear” that the Indo–Naga talks have concluded and that all core political matters have been thoroughly deliberated. It said any attempt to downgrade the “Agreed Position” is “inconceivable.”
The Working Committee maintained that the Naga people have moved beyond the interlocutory phase and that the “only rational and practical path” now is the announcement and signing of a political agreement in consonance with the negotiated terms, which it said is essential for enduring peaceful coexistence.