The Naga Hoho has expressed concern over the recent unfavourable developments, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter with priority and stated that his political commitment would bring the desired solution to the Naga issue.
Recalling the assurance given by the prime minister on August 3, 2015 on the historic signing of the Framework Agreement, the Naga Hoho said in a release signed by its president HK Zhimomi and general secretary K Elu Ndang that the assurance confirmed the support to the Nagas’ peace efforts and acceptable settlement of the long-drawn Indo-Naga political issue.
It has been five years since the Framework Agreement was signed between Government of India (GoI) and the NSCN/GPRN but no tangible solution is emerging and there has been no progress in the political talk.
The Naga Hoho felt that the agreement has been interpreted to suit the interest of the central government and an earliest clarification on the current position of the agreement is needed from the government, the release stated.
It further stated that though the Centre had declared that formal talks on Indo-Naga Political issue concluded on October 31, 2019, the Indian Army continues to operate against peace and the people under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which resulted in the rise of violence and killings like it used to be during pre-ceasefire period.
The recent case of July 11 where six boys were gunned down in their sleep by the 6 Assam Rifles near Nginu village of Longding district, Arunachal Pradesh, has blotted the effort to peace and settlement, the release added.
The 2001 Bangkok Agreement clearly stated that ceasefire shall be without territorial limit but the ceasefire covers only to the state of Nagaland. The agreement was signed when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and it is contradictory to the current ceasefire. The government must clarify the position of the Bangkok Agreement, said the release.
The release also stated that the Centre and NSCN have signed several agreements in the past; however, the agreements have not brought an acceptable solution so far. The Nagas observe that the governor of Nagaland who is also the interlocutor to the Indo-Naga Peace Talk is functioning in an autocratic manner without any regard and respect for what has been achieved so far.
With the appointment of RN Ravi as the governor, it was hoped to expedite the peace process but he is breaking the hard-earned trust of the people and rendering the 23 years of negotiation meaningless by smearing the Naga history and the political groups with whom the Centre is engaged in a negotiation, it added.
