NSCN (I-M) has once again reiterated its position on separate Naga flag and constitution, asserting that the Naga national identity symbolised by the Naga flag and constitution could not be sacrificed and put on the bargaining table in exchange for anything.
In a statement, NSCN (I-M) maintained that “Nagas cannot be insulted by asking them to stand by Indian national flag at the cost of dishonouring the Naga national flag that defined Naga political identity as a nation.”
NSCN (I-M) said this was the crux of the issue that Naga people simply could not compromise. It would be unjustified for Government of India (GoI) to run roughshod the unique history of Nagas that it had given official recognition, the organisation stressed.
“Significantly, flags that represents the national identity of India and Nagalim is the natural picture to be seen in any Indo-Naga political talks. This inadvertent lapse has been misconstrued by GoI and thereby is creating unnecessary obstruction by making an issue out of it,” NSCN (I-M) said.
Mentioning that the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks held at the highest level without pre-conditions with Government of India (Centre) was mandated by Naga Hoho, Naga tribal hohos and Naga civil society organizations (CSOs) spread across Nagalim covering over 1,00,000 sq km, NSCN (I-M) said when the ceasefire was officially declared on August 1, 1997, it was agreed, among other things, that political dialogue would be held at the highest level, i.e., at the Prime Minister level.
And since then, several rounds of Indo-Naga political talks were held in different countries, in India and Nagaland as well, it added.
For obvious reasons, NSCN (I-M) said the Prime Minister of India appointed an interlocutor as his representative, while NSCN was led by ato kilonser (Prime Minister) of the Government of People’s Republic of Nagalim. The “Indo-Naga political talks” therefore was carried on the basis of two entities, it added.
Consultation with the Naga CSOs was a different matter, but NSCN (I-M) stressed that whenever “Indo-Naga political dialogue” took place, certain diplomatic norms could not be sidelined.
Claiming that it had entered into an agreement to hold peace talks only after Centre had agreed to accept Naga issue as political, NSCN (I-M) attributed the deadlock on the issue of Naga national flag and constitution after more than two decades of political dialogue to “diplomatic error”.
It regretted that diplomatic norms were missing and driving the Indo-Naga political talks to almost nothingness, adding this was no different from the past accords and agreements that were rejected outright.
NSCN (I-M) recollected that Nagaland was placed under the Union ministry of external Affairs (MEA) till the 1970s, which signified that it was never a part of India by any agreement.
“It was forcefully occupied and India continues to suppress the political rights of Naga people by placing the Naga areas under the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,” the statement added.