Reacting to the formation of the Core Committee of Parliamentary Committee on Naga Political issue by the state government, NSCN (I-M) said it welcomed such a Committee provided only if there was no attempt to dilute the spirit and substance of Framework Agreement (FA) as mutually agreed upon by it with both Government of India (GoI),as the final basis for Naga political solution.
In a statement issued through its MIP, NSCN (I-M) reiterated that the much-talked-about FA was not something signed in a hurry but the result of a well thought-out proposal from the government of India.
It said when the “Indo-Naga political talks” faced deadlock-like situation as Indian and Naga leaders took their respective stands with no meeting point when talks touched the core issue of solution within Indian constitution (Indian stand) and outside the Indian constitution (Naga stand).
NSCN (I-M) said Framework Agreement was the result of going through a long series of talks “when the Government of India finally proposed the Framework Agreement as a formula of win-win solution.”
NSCN (I-M) said the talks had revolved around FA with both parties cautiously taking care not to allow either side to take strategic advantage or deviation from it.
NSCN (I-M) however said the “foot-in-mouth syndrome” prevalent with the state BJP unit was already giving the Core Committee a bad name even before it began work.
While maintaining that no effort by any committee would bear fruits if the historical account of Nagas was not taken into consideration; NSCN (I-M) demanded that if the BJP wanted to solve the Naga political issue within the ambit of the Indian constitution then, the party has to first make its stand clear on whether it took cognisance of the Naga national movement with reference to the declaration of Naga independence on August 14,1947 and Naga Plebiscite on May 16,1951.
NSCN (I-M) said the two events constituted the most important landmarks in the Naga national movement and it is with the UNO.
Further, it said Nagas had undergone horrendous violations of human rights never seen anywhere in the world at the hands of Indian security forces. NSCN (I-M) said more than two lakh Nagas lost their lives and properties were destroyed by the security forces throughout Nagalim.
NSCN (I-M) therefore, insisted that BJP make its stand “very clear” either to admit these factual accounts of history or deny it. It said the sufferings of Nagas at the hands of “Indian occupational forces” were well documented for posterity to judge.
NSCN (I-M) said “Indo-Naga political history” was marked by “bloody blunder” when the “main stakeholders” (freedom fighters) were not consulted. It therefore, urged the Core Committee members to not overrate themselves or outdo their role at the cost of destroying Naga political identity which it-NSCN (I-M)- had “robustly protected” throughout the two decades of talks with the government of India and not to repeat the same mistakes of the past.
NSCN (I-M) also criticised “some Naga intellectuals and political and public leaders” for going overboard in projecting Naga history incorrectly during interviews in front of TV cameras and during live TV debates. It said these confused the masses and cautioned them to exercise restraint lest Naga political history was distorted or cynically manipulated.
NSCN (I-M) said it would be monitoring what it termed as “traitorous approach to the Naga political issue” which had been painstakingly guarded with high cost of blood, sweats and tears.