ACAUT plea to PM to fructify signed Agreements

Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) made a strong plea on the prime minister Narendra Modi that Nagas were keen to see whether he had the will and wisdom to fructify agreements (Framework Agreement and Agreed Position) arrived at, after decades of negotiations with stakeholders.
ACAUT convener Tia Longchar, co-convener Simon Kelio and secretary Hetoi Chishi in a joint statement, noted that despite perpetual extension of ceasefires over the past 25 years under four Prime Ministers, none of them had the inclination or courage to deliver what was promised.
They said political settlement was the only panacea against the twin evils of rampant taxation and unchecked corruption plaguing the Naga society. In the light of vociferous demand by overwhelming majority of Naga public and CSOs for early political settlement, evident in the massive public rally of August 5, 2022, ACAUT fervently appealed to the Prime Minister Modi to deliver on his promise to bring solution to the protracted Naga political issue and usher in a new era of hope, peace and development.
ACAUT said in the light of the cry over multiple taxation: “enough is enough”, it has been demanding that the Government of India (GoI) pursue inclusive negotiation with other Naga political groups at the “mother of all rallies” it organised on August 25, 2017. ACAUT said the public resolution adopted at its first public rally, was for expediting the Indo-Naga political solution. Then after the signing of the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position, it had endorsed the mandate on “Solution before Election” in 2018.
However, ACAUT lamented that five years has passed since then but the matter was back to square one when election was eventually held on the promise of “Election for Solution” made by then BJP Northeast in-charge Ram Madhav.
ACAUT expressed the hope that the BJP government at the Centre would fulfil the aspirations of people for an honourable settlement by 2022 Christmas, before the upcoming Assembly election.
Monday, October 31 also marks the 10th anniversary of the first massive public rally on October 31, 2012 against the yoke of unabated taxation and corruption in spite of stiff opposition from those who believe that power flows from the barrel of the gun. ACAUT said the formation of High Powered Committee (HPC) and submission of its report on the whole gamut of unabated taxation, was the result of the public resolution on the day but expressed dismay that till date the report of the HPC was yet to see the light of day.
According to ACAUT, as a logical antidote against unabated taxation, the public resolution of “One Government, One Tax” elicited massive response from the people and became pronounced after the declaration of “One Naga National Government” by Forum for Naga Reconciliation in the Naga Concordant of 2011.
On the other hand, ACAUT said the Government of India continued to recognise and extend ceasefires with various Naga political groups (NPGs) without confining them to their designated camps pr restricting the use of combat arms by various card holders. ACAUT also pointed out that there was no clause under the present ceasefire ground rules for providing allowances and rations to those under ceasefire, unlike those at Peace Camp at Kohima.
ACAUT, most NPGs squeeze every penny from public for survival and upkeep. It said absence of such clauses, was “a diabolical myopic double standard policy of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs” responsible for creating a huge trust deficit.