Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Nagaland NewsLack of transparency creating doubts: TNR on Naga issue

Lack of transparency creating doubts: TNR on Naga issue

The Naga Rising (TNR) said the lack of transparency in the long-drawn Naga peace process had been creating doubts in people’s minds. In a statement, TNR lamented that even after 26 years since entering into ceasefire and dialogue, there was no sign of a solution, besides there was a lack of serious political initiative to break the current stalemate.


It pointed out that the Nagas today were clueless about where the peace process was going, except for the fact that it had reached a deadlock, purportedly over the issues of flag and constitution. While one might argue that political negotiations were complex and require patience, TNR pointed out that it was perhaps time to ask some hard questions about the Naga peace process and demand accountability.


After coming to power, TNR said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was credited with “personally supervising the talks” with an interlocutor reporting directly to PM’s office, adding that the 2015 Framework Agreement was also publicised as a big achievement.

During the previous Congress-led UPA government, TNR said top Naga leaders held face-to-face meetings with then PM and Home Minister. A senior union cabinet minister along with a Group of Ministers were appointed to supervise the talks then. TNR regretted that today, the Naga political groups had no access to the PM or even the HM. It also noted that there was also no longer the practice of having a dedicated interlocutor for the Naga peace process.


It pointed out that the negotiations, though claimed to have concluded in October 2019, had also been downgraded to the level of a retired bureaucrat who was an adviser (Northeast) at the Home Ministry.


TNR alleged that both the Centre and NSCN (I-M) were simply satisfied with the status quo and not willing to consider a give-and-take approach. TNR emphasised that it was about time to deliberate whether ceasefire extension year after year had any meaning when there was no progress and conclusion in the talks.


It also wondered whether the indefinite extension of ceasefire was helping find a solution, recalling that when Centre and NSCN (I-M) had in 2007 decided to extend the ceasefire indefinitely, it was understood that this would be subject to progress of peace talks between the two sides to find a negotiated settlement.


According to TNR, a public statement on the current status was the least that was expected from the negotiators to reassure the Nagas and also make known the key issues that remained unresolved and how they intended to settle them.


TNR said that a fresh political momentum at the highest-level on the basis of a give-and-take approach was required to resolve the deadlock and work towards an early solution as desired by the Naga masses.

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