‘People’s Rally’ in Delhi calls for honouring political commitment S

Morung Express News
New Delhi | June 12

A clarion call to the Government of India (GoI) to honour its ‘political commitment’ as well as to all stakeholders to continue active engagement in ‘meaningful talks’ were some of the key outcomes of the ‘People’s Rally’ organised under the banner “A Call for Peace” in New Delhi on June 11.

The rally, organised by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in collaboration with the Naga Students’ Union, Delhi (NSUD), was aimed at “raising the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Nagas who were and continues to be subjugated by the colonial powers.”

It began with a march from Mandi House and culminated at Jantar Mantar, where the main event was held. Solidarity messages and speeches from various apex Naga civil society organisations (CSOs) and intellectuals, political leaders, and well-wishers of the Naga political movement were shared during the event.

‘Younger generation united’
Speaking on the occasion, the NSF President, Kegwayhun Tep stated that it is paramount for all the stakeholders continue to actively engage in meaningful talks.

“There should be open and honest dialogue and highest degree of sincerity, and commitment towards resolving the matter to ensure lasting peace and stability,” he added.

Tep further asserted that even though, there may be many differences among the stakeholders on the question of Indo-Naga political issue, the younger generation “who shall ultimately inherit the outcome of any settlement, are one and united and shall remain so till the end of time.”

“We the Naga youth call for peace, we long for peaceful future, a future without fear and conflict. We shall continue to stand united for unified Lim and glory of the Nagas,” he added.

Touching upon the protracted conflict, the NSF President pointed out that the Nagas are still being subjected to the ‘colonial legacy,’ that is, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

“It is still being used in the Naga Homeland against the sons and daughters of the soil,” he reiterated, citing the December 4 and 5, 2021 Oting incident, where Indian Armed Forces continued to “operate with impunity while disregarding all human values and virtues.”

AFSPA a ‘threat’ to peace
Accordingly, Tep stated that while the Indo-Naga political dialogue being held at the Prime Minister’s level is at a very crucial stage, a colonial act with an imperialistic design such as AFSPA “should have no foothold in a democratic nation and in a democratic world.”

“Let it be clear, Nagas are not a threat to peace, but the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is,” he iterated.

“And for so long as such acts continue to exist, our lives, our land and our people will always be tormented by fear and uncertainty…The price for Peace cannot be paid in bloodshed and violence.”

To this end, the NSF President said that peace can only be brought about through open dialogue, deeper understanding of each other’s history and mutual respect for each other’s differences, while taking into account a wider range of perspectives, positions and circumstances in the present context, without losing sight of what challenges lies in the future.

Today, as we take this symbolic step forward, let us collectively strive towards a future where respect, transparency, justice, equality, and brotherhood are the cornerstones of our social settings, and where we all live together in peaceful coexistence amongst ourselves, with our neighbours, and with all those living in close proximity with us, he further exhorted.

The NSF President thus called upon the GoI to honour its political commitment.

As there is only one Indo-Naga political issue, there shall be only one solution too. The proposed political settlement should be based on inclusive and honourable solution that recognises Naga people’s identity, and brought to its logical conclusion at the earliest, he added.

Similarly, Dr K Pou, a member of Global Naga Forum, noted that both sides have suffered and feared the physical and psychological wounds of the unresolved seven decade-old Indo-Naga political conflict.

“So, it is important for both sides to understand the main cause of the problem, because only then can we find a solution,” he said, adding that the reason is simple.

“Nagas are not anti-India. What the Nagas have been doing since the British left the sub-continent is merely to stand up for our birthright as human beings,” he noted. However, this has resulted in many years of conflict, with extra judicial AFSPA being implemented since 1958.

The AFSPA continues to be in place and the Naga homeland continues to be increasingly militarised with Army headquarters, training centres, companies and camps covering a combined area of around 15,022 square miles in Nagaland and Manipur alone, he maintained.

“The region has been turned into a sprawling military training camp for the Indian Army,” he said.

The Naga people know this is unfair to us. Despite all this, the Naga people hope that the Government of India has clearly understood the nature of Naga aspirations, Pou added.

This understanding should be the foundation for any conflict, because otherwise the present generation will pass on the same problem to the next generation and the next, and so on, he said.

According to Pou, the Naga people are especially happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by signing up the Framework Agreement (FA) on August 3, 2015, expressed his commitment to ending the conflict and restoring the dignity of the Naga people. Successive representatives of the GoI have expressed many times that the negotiating parties will hammer out an exclusive and honourable political solution, he highlighted.

For him, this honourable solution should be based on respect for the Naga historical and political rights; official recognition of the Naga flag and constitution; inclusive solution not part solution, but solution for all the narrow areas; Repeal of AFSPA and demilitarisation of the region; and complete autonomy and governance over all the ancestral Naga homeland.

A reminder
Meanwhile, Naga Hoho General Secretary K Elu Ndang stated that India as a ‘Mighty Nation’ should not deny the existence and rights of other nations whose nationality deserves to be respected.

To this, he reminded the current Indian political dispensation of the speech that Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi made during the signing of the FA. While expounding “deepest admiration for the great Naga people for their extraordinary support to the peace efforts,” among others, the Prime Minister attributed the conflict as a colonial legacy which continued as “we did not understand each other,” Ndang said, quoting the PM’s speech.

“We sincerely believe and hope that the honourable prime minister who has committed to resolve the Indo Naga issue, shall not backtrack his honest commitment,” Ndang stated, further appealing to the Prime Minister to fulfill his promise.

He also made an appeal to all communities and nationalities in India to extend fullest support to resolve the decades-old protracted Indo Naga political issue.

This in turn would help the GoI resolve other related issues in the country, he maintained.

Secretary General of Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights, Neingulo Krome also reminded the gathering that though older generations could not bring ‘peace’ despite every effort, he stands proudly that the Nagas “have not lost our dignity, nor have we surrendered, our right.”

“And we will continue to stand our ground, till the end of time,” he asserted adding that Naga history is, “written in blood, in ashes, in fire.”

Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/peoples-rally-in-delhi-calls-for-honouring-political-commitment