As the NSCN (I-M) and the Government of India are all set to resume the peace talks, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) “fervently” appealed to the units of the ANSAM, Naga students and youths, churches in Nagalim and all Naga people to pray for God’s blessings “for our collective leaders to be led by VS Atem, the Deputy Ato Kilonser of NSCN/GPRN”.
The Naga student body said that all should pray so that the talks “cultivate a common voice for inclusive solution with flag, constitution and integration as the inalienable rights of the Nagas”.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ANSAM said that “Nagas in Nagalim” have been yearning all these many years for a logical conclusion of the “protracted Naga issue for self determination of our sovereign rights”.
The Naga student body said that, in this 78 years long journey of the Naga national struggle after its official declaration of Naga Independence from the British colonial rule, the Indo-Naga political peace talk was initiated barely for two counting decades following which the Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim and the Government of India “based on the recognised unique history and situation of the Nagas delving into the concept of shared sovereignty between two separate entities”.
The statement also said, “Today, even after 9 years of Framework Agreement signing and 22 years of Indo-Naga political peace talks at the highest Prime Minister level as two separate entities, the backtracking of the commitment by the Government of India on the issue of separate Naga flag and constitution has made the talk inconclusive but not deadlock thereby keeping it impasse for few years”.
While reiterating its stance to firmly support the Indo-Naga political peace talk for a logical conclusion with honourable and acceptable solution, the ANSAM stated it appreciated the step taken by the Government of India to resume the political talk after a gap. “We are confident that the outcome of the talk will be positive since the Government of India has already acknowledged the political desires and rights of the Nagas,” it added.