NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th Muivah warned of “resuming the violent armed resistance against India for defending the Nagalim unique history and her sovereign existence if a third-party intervention to resolve the betrayal of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, is rejected by the Government of India”.
The NSCN (I-M) leader also said that “Nagalim and the NSCN will not wait forever for the Government of India to respect and honor the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, neither shall we wait forever for the Government of India to recognize and acknowledge Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution in the political agreement”.
The statement of Th Muivah, which was made available to Newmai News Network today, said that “Nagalim and the NSCN are prepared and ready to defend and protect Nagalim’s unique history and Nagalim sovereign national existence”. The NSCN (I-M) leader’s statement also said, “Gird yourself for any eventuality and remember that the battle belongs to God and He shall fight for us”. The statement added, “I praise the courage and resilience of Nagalim and the Naga people, wherever you are. Blessed are the Naga people and the generation who believes and honor our God given unique history, sovereignty and freedom and our nation’s commitment that Nagalim shall be for Christ”.
At the outset, Th. Muivah addressed the Naga people, saying, “My dear Naga people, this statement is my political testament on the Indo-Naga political negotiation and the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 signed between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) as two separate entities”. He added, “This statement is a declaration of my commitment that Nagalim and the NSCN shall defend and protect the ‘Nagalim unique history’, ‘Nagalim sovereignty and freedom’, ‘Nagalim sovereign territory’, ‘Nagalim sovereign national flag’ and ‘Nagalim sovereign national constitution’, to the last, come what may”.
The statement then recalled, “I and my friend late Chairman Isak Chishi Swu went to the negotiating table respecting and acknowledging the international political norms for the resolution of conflicts through peaceful political negotiation and also honoring the commitment of India’s Prime Ministers, including PV Narashimha Rao, HD Deve Gowda, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and others to resolve the Indo-Naga political conflict through peaceful political negotiation, leaving aside the military way solution, and accordingly, the Indo-Naga political negotiation began on August 1, 1997 between the two entities based on the following broad-based principles that that the talks would be unconditional; that the talks would be at the highest level, that is, at the Prime Ministerial level; that the talks would be somewhere outside India in a third country, but for a third-party witness remains open-ended”.
Since August 1, 1997 more than 600 rounds of political negotiation have taken place between the Government of India and the NSCN based on those principles, without any pre-conditions, at the Prime Minister level and outside India in a neutral country, the statement also said. Later, in the ongoing political negotiation between the Government of India and the NSCN, two significant official agreements were signed between the two entities during the Prime Ministership of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi respectively. They are the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002, and the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015.
According to Th Muivah, the historic and far-reaching landmark achievements of the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002 and the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 are:
1. The letter and spirit of the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002 officially recognized and acknowledged the unique history and situation of Nagalim. Hence, it is an official recognition and acknowledgement that Nagalim was/is never a part of India or Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case may be, either by consent or conquest. Therefore, Nagalim is not the internal matter of India [neither the internal matter of Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case may be).
2. The letter and spirit of the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002 has officially recognized and acknowledged Nagalim sovereignty since Nagalim was/is not the internal matter of India [or Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case may be].
3. The letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 officially recognized and acknowledged that the Indo-Naga issue is a political conflict of two sovereign entities and therefore the Indo-Naga conflict is not the internal matter of India [or Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case may be].
4. The letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 officially recognized and acknowledged Nagalim’s unique history and situation and that sovereignty lies with Nagalim and the Naga people. Since sovereignty is constitutive of national identity, the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 has officially recognized and acknowledged Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution.
5. The letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 officially recognized and acknowledged that the “sovereign powers are concluded from the negotiated political agreement of the two sovereign entities and they are not accrued from the constitution of India for Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case maybe). Therefore, the mutually agreed “sovereign powers” that are concluded from the negotiated political agreement shall constitute the constitution which shall be called the Yehzabo/Nagalim constitution.
6. The cornerstone for the honorable political agreement between India and Nagalim is respecting and honoring the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement, wherein, amongst others, the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution are duly recognized and acknowledged. And the sharing of “sovereign power” in a “new relationship” as agreed upon in the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 is of two separate sovereign entities. Hence, as two separate sovereign entities the sharing of “sovereign powers” in a “new relationship” shall be outside the Union and Constitution of India [or Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as the case may be].
It is pertinent to understand that Nagalim and the NSCN have given India the finest opportunity to resolve the decades old Indo-Naga political conflict on the basis of the letter and spirit of the officially signed Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, said the NSCN-IM leader. “Therefore, in view of the betrayal of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 by the Government of India , kindly allow me to state the position and the political steps Nagalim and the NSCN will pursue.
They are briefly given in the following paras:
1. The NSCN and its leadership took the honorable step of resolving the decades old Indo-Naga political conflict by agreeing to have political negotiation with the Government of India . However, it is the authorities and the leadership in the Government of India who have deliberately betrayed the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 by refusing to recognize and acknowledge the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution.
2. The benchmark for a political agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN must be according to the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 wherein, amongst others, the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution must be an integral part of the political agreement.
3. Whether it is today or tomorrow, the “Nagalim unique history”, “Nagalim sovereignty and freedom”, “Nagalim sovereign territory”, “Nagalim sovereign national flag” and “Nagalim sovereign national constitution” are non-negotiable.
4. After betraying the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, the Government of India will attempt to impose conditions and terms of surrender on the NSCN,” Th. Muivah cautioned.
Firstly, according to Th Muivah, the Government of India will impose a political agreement that will not respect and honor the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015. Secondly, the Government of India will force the NSCN/GPRN to sign a political agreement without the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution. Thirdly, the Government of India will resort to brute military force in order to crush Nagalim and the NSCN when the latter refused to capitulate under the condition and terms of surrender of the Government of India, he added.
“Nevertheless, even if the odds are against Nagalim and the NSCN, we shall take whatever steps that is necessary according to the decision mandated by Nagalim and the Naga people to protect and defend the ‘Nagalim unique history’, ‘Nagalim sovereignty and freedom’, ‘Nagalim sovereign territory’, ‘Nagalim sovereign national flag’ and ‘Nagalim sovereign national constitution’, by whatever means including armed struggle,” the statement also said.
In order to conclude and realize an honorable political agreement, Th. Muivah said, “we rule out peaceful means against the ignominious betrayal of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 by the Government of India”. He added by saying, “However, in the first place we propose a third-party intervention to resolve the betrayal of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, but if such a political initiative is rejected by the Government of India, the NSCN shall resume the violent armed resistance against India for defending the Nagalim unique history and her sovereign existence”.
The violent confrontation between India and Nagalim shall be purely on account of the deliberate betrayal and breach of commitment by India and its leadership to respect and honor the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, Muivah said. “Therefore, India and its leadership shall be held responsible for the catastrophic and adverse situation that will arise out of the violent armed conflict between India and Nagalim”, he further added.
However, the NSCN (I-M) leader statement said that if India “sincerely desires an honorable political agreement with Nagalim and the NSCN”, the Government of India must respect and honor the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, whereby, amongst others, the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution are officially recognized and acknowledged in the political agreement.
“My dear Naga people, stand firm wherever you are and be resolute for Nagalim’s unique history and her sovereign existence. Waver not for the sacred commitment to our Lord God Almighty to uphold and protect, ‘Nagalim unique history’, ‘Nagalim sovereignty and freedom’, ‘Nagalim sovereign territory’, ‘Nagalim sovereign national flag’ and ‘Nagalim sovereign national constitution’” he stated.
The statement then said, “In the leadership given to me for these past more than six decades by Jehovah, my Lord God Almighty, I have not betrayed the freedom and sovereignty given to me and Nagalim. I have honored my Lord God Almighty for ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith’. I thank and praise Jehovah who has been faithful to me in all my trials and struggles. I thank Him for He understood me and preserved me and Nagalim for these past many decades”.
In conclusion, Th. Muivah reiterated that for an honorable political agreement with “Nagalim and the NSCN”, the Government of India must respect and honor the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, whereby, among others, the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution are officially recognized and acknowledged in the political agreement.
“Finally, we give all the glory and honor and power and riches and wisdom to Jehovah, our Lord God Almighty for His faithfulness to Nagalim and the Naga people,” the statement concluded.
