WC-NNPGs rejects any accord with NSCN-IM

DIMAPUR — The Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) on Sunday asserted that it has never expressed any desire, formally or informally, to be part of any agreement involving the NSCN (IM).

In a statement, the committee clarified that the so-called ‘common draft’ under discussion is an initiative of the government of India (GoI) aimed at an inclusive Naga political solution.

While the committee has agreed to the idea in principle, it  explained that this was contingent on the draft not undermining the ‘Agreed Position’ signed on November 17, 2017—a pact it described as the only historic agreement pinpointing the Nagas’ right to self-determination while acknowledging contemporary political realities.

The WC-NNPG credited the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) for facilitating key reconciliatory agreements among Naga groups—the 2009 Covenant of Reconciliation, the 2011 Naga Concordant, and the 2014 Lenten Agreement—but accused the NSCN (IM) leadership of using these for legitimacy while excluding other stakeholders in the signing of the August 3, 2015 Framework Agreement (FA).

It alleged that the FA was finalised without consultation with Naga tribes, calling the use of the term ‘Nagalim’ in the document a utopian idea ‘irrelevant in Naga history.’

Also read: NSCN (YA), ULFA-I to boycott I-Day celebrations 

“The real motive over NSCN IM's flag and constitution is this:  It is more of an insurance policy, an emotional tool to continue transferring Nagaland's wealth to acquire assets in Ukhrul and elsewhere. A bargaining chip for constitutional guarantee as part of political solution. To transfer Intangki Reserve Forest stretch and surrounding areas, create a township for Nagas from Manipur only.

“They plan to administer the area by senior Tangkhul members welding political and administrative power through new political arrangement. This layer of political discourse cannot be disclosed even to their very own civil and military workers from Nagaland state, let alone put out in the public domain,” the statement read.

According to the committee, the GoI has since assured that the forest belongs to the Naga people and cannot be transferred.

It accused the NSCN (IM) of prioritising control over territory and resources over Naga integration, a separate flag, or a constitution.

The WC-NNPG maintained that its own negotiations had produced a “clear roadmap” aligned with the aspirations of indigenous Naga tribes across Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam.

It stated that the agreed status paper had been shared with apex tribal bodies, village leaders, elected representatives, student bodies, and church organisations.

Reaffirming its call for an “early, honourable, and acceptable” settlement, the committee claimed that NSCN (IM) is attempting to sabotage the process, warning that the political solution would undermine what it called the group’s “secret plans.”