Ventilating their concern as well as vexation at the inordinate delay for arriving at a solution to the Naga political issue even after official conclusion of all negotiations on October 31,2019 after nearly 25 years of prolonged negotiations and signing of Framework Agreement on August 3,2015 and Agreed Position on November 17,2017 leaders of 25 organisations, including apex tribal bodies, held a consultative meet at Hotel Saramati here Tuesday.
The meeting was convened by the Nagaland GBs Federation(NGBF) with the sole purpose of the deciding to collectively take forward the cause of resolving the several decades-old Naga political issue and reassess what was left for the future.
Deliberating on the agenda of the meeting, NGBF president Shahlem Konyak said the meeting was convened to decide whether Nagas would accept a solution the political issue.
“We need to keep our community as one by overcoming tribe differences and stand as one. Then only we will achieve solution,” he added.
Noting that people had been suffering for years, Shahlem declared that it was time for them to stand as one for achieving a solution that would be in the interest of future generation.
Addressing the gathering, Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Retd) accused NSCN(I-M) top brasses in the know, of keeping the competency clauses under wraps. Khekiye said by not wanting to disclose the competencies discussed with the government of India, the NSCN (I-M) seemed to suggest that Nagas of Nagaland were incapable of understanding the complexities.
He said NSCN(I-M) cannot decide the fate of the Nagas without first dis-cussing with the Nagas the contents of the competencies.
Hitting out at two clauses in the competencies so far made public, Khekiye said one of them- Naga Nation- seeks to replace the state of Nagaland and the other for Pan Naga Hoho to act as the Upper House under which Naga-land state will come under control.
He said the Nagas of Manipur will become citizens of the Naga nation de-spite no integration of lands. They will continue to enjoy their status in Manipur and gain rights in the Naga nation, he added .
Khekiye also lamented that without integration, flag and constitution hold no significance, and also that NSCN (I-M)’s yehzabo (Constitution) is communism. He said if NSCN (I-M) yehzabo is implemented, the government will control all the lands and public property.
He claimed that NSCN (I-M) and Government of India were on different pages over ‘shared sovereignty’. Khekiye said NSCN (I-M) claim about sovereignty appears somewhat “absolute” and yet it continues to seek per-mission for flag and constitution from the government of India. He reiterated that the issue of flag and constitution did come after signing the Frame-work Agreement.
He also advocated on the need of a common platform for Nagas to allow everyone to speak in one voice as too many organizations has confused the Naga voice, and for which some tribes need to take the responsibility.
He said “our destiny cannot be decided and controlled without explaining to the people.”
Former NLA speaker Z Lohe said Centre had been patient enough with the Nagas by holding negotiations for decades and if the people do not acknowledge this, Nagas will miss the bus and such opportunity will never come back.
On flag and constitution, Lohe pointed out that when the demand for sovereignty does not arise how can there be separate constitution and flag. He al-so said that in order to have a cultural flag, one does not require the permission of any authority. In this regard, he said why were the people being fooled by such demand.
Suggesting that an ultimatum should be adopted to push for early Naga so-lution, former ENPO president Kekongchim said from now on there should be ultimatums associated with resolutions as it was years since Nagas had been talking about an early solution.
Instead of holding closed-door meetings and adopting resolutions, he called for public referen-dum where voices of every individual and organisation was heard.
He remarked that if the Naga political groups were not transparent about the political negotia-tions, they too should not expect any cooperation from people.
Others who attended and spoke at the meeting included leaders representing various tribes like Angami, Ao, Sumi, Koyak, Lotha, Chakhesang, Chang, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, Rengma, Po-chury, Phom, Zeliang, Khiamniungan, Tikhir, Kuki, Kachari, Garo, Gorkha, Rongmei, etc. Representatives from organisations like ENPO, WSH, ASTD, CPO, NCD, NTC, NGBF, CNCCI and DDGBA, among others, also attended the meeting.
All the organisations voiced out similar views on the need for pressing for an early solution to the Naga issue. The meeting was chaired by NGBF general secretary ShikutoZalipu.
Nagaland People’s Action Committee formed to ensure goal of early solution
The consultative meeting held at Hotel Saramati here on Tuesday decided to constitute an action committee with the nomenclature Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC) to represent the voice of the people till a desired result was achieved vis-à-vis Naga political issue.
Attended by representatives of apex tribal organisations of Nagaland, the meeting held under the aegis of Nagaland GBs Federation (NGBF) decided to ask the apex tribal hohos to officially delegate one representative to the committee as a member.
As per the decision, Theja Therie would head NPAC as convener, while Shikuto Zalipu, Kekongchim and Imsumongba would be its co-conveners, Khondao Ngullie would be secretary and Dr Seyievilie Mor would be finance secretary, besides a representative from Naga Council Dimapur.
As part of the four-point resolution, the House also unanimously resolved to press upon the Central government and the two Naga negotiating groups to conclude the ongoing negotiations on the basis of the understanding reached between both sides on October 31, 2019.
It was also resolved to stage a public rally and other follow-up actions.
The meeting declared that Nagas of Nagaland would stand as one entity and collectively react to any discriminative action meted out to any individual or community by any element in self-defence.