(From previous issue)
Instead of fighting for the rights of the Nagas, such Naga leaders had loudly proclaimed that the Home Minister of India had told them in private that the GOI will never accept the demand for the Naga flag and the constitution. In return for favours received, these Naga leaders are speaking the language of the GOI and are willingly acting as its spokespersons. The Indo-Naga peace talk is at level of the Prime Minister and not at the level of Home Minister and therefore, let the PM himself tell the Nagas the GOI’s final decision on these two issues. The GOI is using such collaborators to bring discord and disunity amongst the Nagas mostly on tribal and regional lines. Using covert and clandestine operations, the GOI with limitless resources at their disposal have bought off many Naga leaders and generously helped those Nagas who are willingly assisting the GOI in its game of deceit, treachery and betrayal.
The Naga National Flag and the Naga National Constitution
In the FA, the GOI and NSCN agreed to share sovereignty as defined in the competencies and the Naga national flag and the separate constitution has to be the basis for a negotiated political settlement between the Nagas and India. Under the Framework Agreement, we can have our own Naga national flag and separate constitution as we see in many countries of the world. The USA has its federal constitution and national flag and allows its 50 states to have their own separate constitutions different from each other and flags that represent the individual sovereignty of each state. Each state of Australia has its own constitution, its own distinct flag and not only that, each state has a Premier. These Australian states have partially ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government. China allows Macau and Hongkong their own separate flags and constitutions with high degree of autonomy. Canada’s provinces have their own distinct flags and separate constitutions. Argentina’s provinces have their own constitutions. Ethiopia allows its regions to have their own distinct flags, emblems and constitutions and the power is shared between the federal government and the regional states. There are many countries in the world like Japan, United Kingdom that allow separate flags for each of the provinces or regions.
The NSCN has made its stand very clear that there will be no honourable solution to the Naga political issue without the non-negotiable Naga national flag and the separate constitution. In the author’s considered view, the GOI would have recognized the Naga national flag, the constitutionprovided and solved the Naga political issue a long time ago if we were not so badly divided and engaged in bitter internecine feuds. It is not that the Naga flag cannot be recognized. It can be. We had this flag yesterday, we have this flag today, and we shall have it tomorrow too. Similarly, when all the competencies / issues are resolved between the Nagas and the GOI, then the final settlement or solution shall be in the form of a constitution. This is the least we shall have. There is no place to come down further except abject surrender. We, the Nagas, were never Indians and will never be. We want to co-exist with India in peace with honour, dignity and our distinct Naga national identity.
Naga Armed Factions
There are more than 26 Naga armed groups (factions) based in the state of Nagaland, 1 in the state of Manipur and may be 2 or 3 in Myanmar. Impressive. Each of them is claiming to be fighting for the Naga sovereignty and is projecting itself to be representing the Naga people. Great and they must. But whether such armed group is actually armed and fighting for the Naga cause? And whether such armed group actually represents the people of Nagalim as a whole or just the state of Nagaland or Manipur or some limited Naga areas or just the tribe it belongs to? We need to dive in and find out the truth – the truth of whether such factions have genuine justification in support of their claims. They are:
Whether the group is inclusive and has the inherent mandate and mass support of the Naga People as a whole. Any group that fails this test does not represent the entire Naga people, but just a small faction.The existence of such group harms the Naga cause and the Naga unity.
Whether the group has the proven record of actually and continuously fighting against India, its armed forces and other enemies of the Naga people in all fronts whether with or without ceasefire agreement and if not, then the claim of such group cannot be genuine.
Whether the group has the written ceasefire agreement with the GOI and if not, then how come that the group exists and is allowed to engage in illegal activities freely with impunity. The only possible explanation is that the group is a collaborator of the GOI against the other Naga armed groups in particular and the Naga people in general.
Whether the group formed by some aggrieved / disgruntled people with the backing of unscrupulous individuals are masquerading as national workers for vendetta and personal gains through mercenary activities, illegal taxations and extortions.
The formation of factions / splinters does not build our Naga nationbut harms it. They do not advance the interest of the Naga nation. Therefore, the activities of these factions are not true patriotism or nationalism. A true patriot or nationalist will not allow his personal and group interests above the larger interest of the Naga nation. These factions thrive because the Naga public is not questioning their harmful existence and their wrong doings and the GOI finds them useful for its divisive and nefarious designs.
External Enemies : India, Its Armed Forces & Others
The Nagas consider India as enemy number one because: (1) India has subjugated the Nagas and has occupied the Naga territories without their consent. (2) India has refused to recognise theNaga nation and its independencebut instead, it has unleashed its armed forces to suppress them.
The state of Manipur led by the dominant community, the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are opposing the integration of the Naga territories or any political settlement that affects the territorial integrity of these states. There are also some communities and their armed groups that are actively assisting the Indian armed forces against the Nagas both in India and Myanmar.
These external enemies can be managed with all the resources we have, but it is the internal enemies operating within our society that is actually destroying the Naga independence movement and the Naga nation.
The Role of the Naga Civil Society Organizations, the Churches, the Naga Public and the Students
We all know the truth that India has successfully divided the Nagas into hostile groups, and we have allowed our enemies to exploit us with fatal consequences. To destroy the Naga movement for freedom and the Naga nation, India has used its armed forces with draconian powers such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, created more Naga factions with monetary benefits, arms and protection, bought off many national and CSO leaders, arrested and imprisoned national workers with false cases, pervasively infiltrated into all important Naga national institutions, tribe bodies, etc. with devastating impact, and instigated our neighbours against us.
For the enemies within, there is no such thing as the Nagalim or Naga country of90,000 plus sq. km comprising the present state of Nagaland, the Naga areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Myanmar. When we talk about a nation, the most important ingredient of a nation is the emotional bonding of the people. If we destroy the emotional bonding of the Naga people, we have destroyed the Naga nation. What is remaining is nothing but just a collection of one or two Naga tribes or villages and not a Naga nation. The vested interests of enemies within are so strongly entrenched and deeply rooted that numerous attempts made by many well-meaning people to bring the factions, splinter groups and stakeholders together through persuasion, prayer or reconciliation have not succeeded. We have refused to listen to church and community leaders even when they have prayerfully invoked God’s name to come together and unite. Rather all we have is:egoistic narrow-mindedness, vendetta, selfishness, tribalism, individual ambition and all-pervasive malpractices. This is the harsh reality. Fortunately, the Naga people and the Naga youths in particular are angry, frustrated and disillusioned with the national workers who are endlessly engaging in factional feuds instead of solving the Naga political issue together unitedly. They are also vocal and firm in expressing their disapproval of the mushrooming of factions / splinter groups and their anti-Naga activities. As is happening in our neighbouring countries, the Naga youths and students should lead the protest against the factions, groups and individuals who are harming the Naga unity and the Naga independence movement. They should not be allowed to destroy the Naga nation and its future.
The inner voice of the Naga people is calling all the Nagas, national political groups, civil society organizations, tribal bodies, churches and students to come together, uniteand, in one voice,solve the Naga political issue.
(Concluded)
K. Timothy Zimik, IRS,
Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Retired)
Disclaimer: The statements made and views expressed in this Article are the author’s personal views.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026