‘Govt of India has recognized the Naga national flag’

December 10, 2023 694 Views No Comment

NSCN-IM claims ‘wavering stand’, ‘lack of sincerity’ by the Government of India

Naga Republic News

In what will be considered as a timely disclosure on the Indo-Naga peace process, the NSCN (IM) on December 8, 2023 issued an official statement on the position of talks pointing out that the Government of India (GoI) has recognized and acknowledged the Naga national flag.

“On the issue of the Naga national flag the Indian representative had said: ‘The Government of India has acknowledged/recognized the Naga national flag’. We were utterly disappointed when he backtracked later. Notwithstanding this, we submitted our draft on the subject matter of flag”, the NSCN (IM) disclosed.

“Friends and critics often said the Government of India is playing with time to diminish the hard-earned Framework Agreement. But that will be too costly. The ball is in the court of the Government of India”, the NSCN (IM) asserted.

It may be mentioned here that the unresolved issue of flag and constitution is standing in the way of inking a solution despite a Framework Agreement signed on 3^rd August, 2015 between the GoI and the NSCN (IM) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In its latest statement, the NSCN (IM) reiterated its position that “solution without Naga national flag and constitution will never be acceptable to the Naga people”.

Meanwhile the NSCN (IM) pointed out that “in order to understand the protracted Indo-Naga issue, we have to open the whole vista of historical facts and the subsequent peace-making efforts that brought us to this point”.

The statement reminded that it was during the tenure of the honourable Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. LK Advani when the Government of India formally recognized the unique history and situation of the Nagas on July11, 2002, at Amsterdam.

“By unique history, it means Nagas have the history of Independence from time immemorial. They have never been an integral part of Union of India and that of Burma, either by conquest or by consent”, the NSCN (IM) explained.

Also by unique position it means that “the Naga issue is a case of resistance against invasion forces and not that of secessionist movement”. According to the NSCN (IM) both Vajpayee and Advani “acknowledged these hard facts”.

It was also disclosed that the Congress led UPA government headed by the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh proposed the concept of ‘shared sovereignty and co-existence of the two entities’.

“The Framework Agreement reiterates the unique history and position of the Nagas. The concepts of shared-sovereignty and co-existence have also been explained therein”, the NSCN (IM) statement read.

The NSCN (IM) has also reproduced a significant clause mentioned in the draft which it claimed was prepared by the Government of India wherein it was mentioned that “in the matters of her own affairs, as mutually agreed upon, Nagaland shall be sovereign” and that “the agreement shall cover all Naga areas”.

On the issue of Naga territorial integration, the NSCN (IM) disclosed that the interlocutor of the Government of India concurred, saying that integration of all Naga areas is the legitimate right of the Nagas, to be materialized through political process.

It was also mutually agreed that the ownership of land and natural resources including minerals on and below belongs to the Nagas.

It was also disclosed that apart from the government and Tatar Hoho, a statutory body that may be called Pan Naga Hoho (PNH) comprising all Naga tribes, wherever they are, will also be established to safeguard and promote Naga identity, integrity, and interests including social, cultural and customary practices, language and dialects of various tribes.

“Unfortunately, what has begun with much fanfare is now going the way ‘betrayal of trust’ because of the lack of sincerity on the part of the Indian government”, the statement concluded pointing out that this has “created huge trust deficit and disillusionment among the people”.

Read full text STATEMENT ON THE POSITION OF TALKS