Naga Peace Accord: Vested interests are spreading false propaganda

The negotiation was piloted by the Prime Minister’s Office and the main interlocutor was the former Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee, R.N. Ravi.

Some crucial talks doing the round in the last few days after the signing of the agreement are about Nagas having a separate flag, separate currency and safeguarding their Naga customary system and land and its resources.

The Accord has brought in sharp criticism from the state governments. The reality is, while details of the accord are yet to be disclosed, it is unlikely to deviate substantially from the underlying principles established under previous regimes, and would essentially reflect a continuity of efforts. It is likely that the deal will pave the way to an election where the NSCN-IM or a successor political party will be facilitated to secure power through polls.

“Wherever Nagas are located they will ask their friends to give them a running commentary of the speech”. “And we decided to call it as framework agreement”. Among these are the circumstances under which it is said to have been signed. Some of these points have already been touched by Zeliang also.

The NSCN-IM leader said the Naga people shall be the master of their own fate and shape their destiny due to their unique history.

I genuinely believe such a decision should be taken after a thorough deliberation on the present development through a “Special Session of Nagaland Legislative Assembly”, so that it will be politically valid and logical. However, he argued “We want integration and want all arbitrary boundaries removed”.

There is expectation from the speech about the territorial sovereignty of the Naga people. Similar statementsreflecting skepticism or hostility have come from a number of political formations. One side they have to work out as to how they can take on board other Naga groups, on the other they have to see that Nagaland and its neighboring States’ interests are protected. Soon after this agreement, breaking news of this event came in all the TV Channels from Delhi and all the online editions of the National Papers. In 2001, Manipur was rocked by violent protests when the centre had unilaterally extended its ceasefire with NSCN IM to areas outside Nagaland.

“The abrogation of ceasefire by NSCN (K) has led to the killing of several personnel of the security forces followed by the death and injury to some civilians in Phek district”.

“Lets work together in the interest of the nation, ” Muivah appealed reaching out to other Naga underground factions.

Further, the possibilities of a split within IM can not be ruled out.

He reminisced that Shillong Accord of 1975 was the worst thing that had happened to the Nagas, as a result of which Nagas began to lose ground it said. Now is the time for the Nagas to grab the opportunity with both hands.

NSCN-IM general secretary T. Muivah declared on Friday that his group has not given up the demand for “sovereignty” for Nagas and integration of all Naga-inhabited areas. This tempered optimism is the only rational approach to perhaps the most complex and intractable of internal conflicts in India. This may, however, mean that Khaplang will gain in influence. The NSCN-Reformation group, while welcoming the Centre’s accord with NSCN-IM with “high hopes” cautioned against to the “vast experience of failed accords and agreements in the past”.