To,
Shri Nand Kishore Yadav,
The Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland,
Lok Bhavam, Kohima.
Sub : Memorandum of the CNFN (Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland) on the Naga Political issue and implementation of the solution as agreed upon.
Respected Sir,
The Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN) brings greetings and welcomes you to Nagaland. We pray that God will grant you wisdom and understanding as you guide the destiny of the Naga people during this crucial juncture of the political history of Nagaland and with great hope and expectations we would like to lay before you some critical issues confronting the people of Nagaland.
- The CNFN is a forum of like-minded citizens of Nagaland, from various walks of life, who are deeply concerned about the existing situation in Nagaland : The bleakness of the future of the Nagas, especially the lives and aspirations of the younger generation who have little or no hope . We and wish to contribute our mite in resolving the present political imbroglio confronting both India and the Naga people.
- You have perhaps been briefed by various sources, but to adding to it, let us recollect that the Naga political problem has been around for about a century, beginning with a delegation of Naga elders submitting a representation to the Simon Commission, in 1929. Much time, effort and thinking have been spent on the issue and many suggestions and solutions have been proposed over the years. The most tangible has been the 16 Point Agreement that gave birth to the State of Nagaland, within the Constitution of India, under which we all exist today. All rational development and progress have taken place under statehood and the people were beginning to find comfort under it.
- There has been the issue of integration of the contiguous Naga inhabited areas with Nagaland State : Areas in Manipur, Arunachal, Assam, and at times, even with areas of Myanmar. Towards this end, a special clause was inserted in the 16 Point Agreement leaving the way open for any such integration. The Nagaland Legislative Assembly has also taken ‘Resolution’ on several occasions, opening the doors for the integration of the contiguous Naga inhabited areas. The Naga people in such areas, especially Manipur, do not, however, seem to want such integration and have even declared that ‘not an inch of Manipur’ will be parted with. The Government of India is also very clear that, when we talk of a solution, the boundaries of the States cannot be changed.
- In such a backdrop, the NSCN (National Socialist Council of Nagaland), was formed in 1975. It claimed to be a clear entity as distinct from the NNC (Naga National Council) which was leading the Naga movement and who enjoyed the mandate of the Naga people through a plebiscite conducted in 1951-52. The NNC was in a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India since 1964 and some had even signed the Shillong Accord in 1975. The NSCN, soon after the split with the NNC, further split into two factions in 1988 : the NSCN(IM) and the NSCN(K) later to be known as NSCN (U/WC/NNPG). There erupted an intense fratricidal clash between themselves, engulfing the law and order maintenance agency, the Indian Army and especially the innocent civilian members of the public. Government of India then stepped in with a proposal for “Peace Process” to pave the way for solving the problem in a democratic manner through cease fire, negotiations and dialogue. The Ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) was initiated in 1997 while the one with the NSCN (K) was initiated in 2000. After intensive and lengthy negotiations and dialogue : 18 (Eighteen) years with the NSCN (IM) and 16 (sixteen) years with the NSCN (K)/NNPG : two agreements, namely, the Framework Agreement was signed with the NSCN(IM) in 2015 and the Agreed Position with the WC/NNPGs in 2017. These were all signed within the Constitution of India.
- We would like to bring to the notice of the Governor that the agreements have been signed 11 (Eleven) years and 9 (nine) years ago, respectively. It has further been 29 (twenty nine) years since the Government of India started the negotiations with the NSCN (IM). The number of years speaks louder than words can that there has been an inordinate delay in the implementation of the Agreement.
- The then Governor of Nagaland Shri R.N. Ravi, who was also the last interlocutor appointed by the Government of India, in his address to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, in 2020-21, announced on the venerated floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, that all negotiations had been completed on 31st October 2019. This meant, announcing the closure of the talks between the Government of India and the Naga Negotiators. The Assembly, unanimously, passed the vote of thanks to the address of the Governor. This has happened 6 (six) years ago. Surprisingly, after passing such a vote of thanks to his address, the State Government quickly demanded the removal of Governor Shri RN Ravi. However, they cannot transfer or erase the vote of thanks to his address.
- We now fail to understand the recent demand of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the State and further voiced by the Chief Minister Shri Neiphiu Rio, bargaining to ‘upgrade’ the negotiations to a ‘political level’. This demand is ‘unconstitutional’. It is volte face and totally against the Assembly’s own unanimous vote. Asking for continuation of the talks appears to be with a pure intention to retain their precious chairs and positions in the Government with no care for the welfare of the people. They are also instigating and talking of situation beyond the Agreements. One of the Hon’ble Member has even stated on the floor of the House, that they are seeking solutions beyond the State and that the ‘Agreements’ contain issues and words that have “Conflict of Interest”. He forgets that he is talking in a State created under the Constitution of India and of a document signed in the presence of the Prime Minister of India. These actions are clearly contradictory to their Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution of India. Such misdemeanour and violation of the Constitution by the Legislative Assembly can only be corrected by the Governor and the President, so that they do not become a precedent to be repeated in all other Assemblies set up under the Constitution of India.
- The CNFN observes that, over the last few years, there has been a proliferation of factions, mushrooming into more than 30 groups. We now have over 30 factions armed with sophisticated weapons, with licenses issued by the Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Board (CSFMB). Over 20 factions have Ceasefire Monitoring Offices in Dimapur. All the factions form their respective self-styled governments. Under the banner of the unresolved Naga political issue and the continuing talks, the factions are free to recruit, extort, organise mafia like syndicates and tax on all supply chains. They are free to issue administrative orders to the public through print and social media. The organised syndicates are reported to be receiving over ₹400 crores annually, besides extortion from all supply chains. The state government have also apparently buckled and all Departmental Drawing & Disbursement Officers and Finance department are allegedly paying systematically to all factions.
- The people, especially the common man, are groaning under the weight of the seemingly legalised Mafia operation of pillage and institutionalised extortion. The people are in the throes of a strangulated economy and a stagnated Nagaland is being left far behind all other neighbouring states in every aspect of development. Under the existing pseudo peace, the people of Nagaland suffer from all-pervading despair, injustices, systematic corruption and unbearable socio-economic burden. This tantamounts to a total breakdown of law and order and is in short a collapse of the Constitution machinery in the State.
- The people have tolerated 29 years of negotiation. Hundreds of lives have been lost. People killed, murdered, and assassinated. Entrepreneurs are all intimidated by extortion notes, phone calls, and often kidnapped for ransom; many were assassinated for resisting or were unable to pay. On the other hand, the Government of the day have in a resolution, adopted a policy “to actively facilitate the ongoing peace process.” This policy is nothing but a policy to allow the elected members and politicians, government functionaries and all others to compromise with the growing number of insurgents and their self-styled governments. All corruption cases are kept in cold storage, which encourages more corruption and extortion.
- It is also learnt through reliable sources that the Hon’ble Prime Minister, in reply to a question to the Chief Minister’s delegate, said ‘he is ready, if they are ready’. The reply from the Chief Minister is still awaited. Instead, the CM is calling for extension of the talk at a political level. In another meeting with All Nagaland GBs Association delegates, the Hon’ble PM told them that he needs the cooperation of the Nagaland State Government. We have also seen a press statement of Union Home Minister asking CM of Nagaland to convince Th Muivah. All these statements indicate some amount of frustration that the Centre is not getting the kind of support and cooperation from the CM and the Government of Nagaland. These situation also contradict the tall claims of the Chief Minister and his colleagues who continue to promise “for an early solution” in their public addresses and their claim that the “opposition less government” is to show their unity for a political solution and their promise “to pave the way”, when an acceptable and honourable solution is found. Is an Agreements signed before the Prime Minister of India not acceptable and honourable. Since they have formed an opposition-less Government is it not overdue to pave the way to the for the implementation of the Agreement signed before the Prime Minister of India and the world.
In such a background, the CNFN humbly submit to the Hon’ble Governor to : - Direct the State Government to shoulder its Constitutional responsibility of maintaining the Law & Order in the State and immediately review how to curb the situation of lawlessness in the State and further curb the mushrooming of factions and various illegitimate groups.
- Direct the State Government to stop speaking of fresh talks and new issues bur instead, review with the Government of India the talks that have already been concluded, outline the outcomes including the competencies and work out how the solution as agreed upon can be implemented.
In this manner, rationality and sanity can be brought to the land. The people cannot be allowed to exists in such confusion and misery. In doing this, you will be doing the greatest justice to the people of Nagaland and bringing about an immediate solution to the vexed Naga problem.
Respectfully yours,
H.K. Khulu
Convenor
Theja Therieh
Secretary