NSCM (IM) alleges ‘betrayal’ of letter and spirit of Framework Agreement by GoI

Proposes a third-party intervention; cautions resumption of ‘armed struggle’ if rejected

Dimapur, November 9 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) Chief Political Negotiator and Ato Kilonser, Th Muivah, today charged the Government of India (GoI) of allegedly betraying the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement (FA) signed on August 3, 2015, while outlining the position and political steps “Nagalim and the NSCN will pursue” as a result.

Among other points, he asserted in a statement received here that, to “conclude and realise an honourable political agreement,” the NSCN (IM) has “ruled out peaceful means against the ignominious betrayal of the letter and spirit” of the FA by the GoI. Instead, Muivah first proposed “third-party intervention to resolve the betrayal.” He cautioned, “If such a political initiative is rejected by the GoI, the NSCN shall resume violent armed resistance against India for defending the unique history of Nagalim and her sovereign existence.”

The statement, however, did not provide details on the type of intervention or the party involved. Muivah asserted that the resulting “violent confrontation” would be purely due to the “deliberate betrayal and breach of commitment by India and its leadership to respect and honour the letter and spirit” of the FA, and they would be held responsible for the resulting “catastrophic and adverse situation.”

However, he noted that if India sincerely desires an honourable political agreement, the GoI must respect and honour the letter and spirit of the FA, in which the “Nagalim sovereign national flag and constitution” are “recognised and acknowledged,” among other aspects.

In the statement, the Ato Kilonser further asserted that the NSCN and its leadership took the honourable step of resolving the decades-old Indo-Naga political conflict by agreeing to engage in political negotiation with the GoI. However, he accused the GoI of deliberately betraying the FA’s letter and spirit by refusing to “recognise and acknowledge the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution.”

He maintained that the benchmark for a political agreement between the GoI and the NSCN must be according to the letter and spirit of the FA, wherein, among other elements, the national flag and constitution “must be an integral part of the political agreement.”

“Whether it is today or tomorrow, the ‘unique history of Nagalim’, ‘Nagalim sovereignty and freedom’, ‘Nagalim sovereign territory’, ‘Nagalim sovereign national flag’, and ‘Nagalim sovereign national constitution’ are non-negotiable,” he added. He stated that Nagalim and the NSCN would neither wait indefinitely for the GoI to respect and honour the letter and spirit of the FA nor continue waiting for recognition and acknowledgment of the flag and constitution.

Elaborating on potential future developments, Muivah maintained that the GoI would “attempt to impose conditions and terms of surrender on the NSCN” as well as impose a political agreement that does not respect and honour the letter and spirit of the FA. He said the GoI would also try to force the NSCN/GPRN to sign a political agreement without the Nagalim national flag and constitution.

He noted the possibility of the GoI resorting to “brute military force to crush Nagalim and the NSCN when the latter refuses to capitulate under the conditions and terms of surrender.” However, Muivah asserted that even if the odds were against the NSCN (IM), it would take whatever steps and means necessary, including armed struggle, as mandated by Nagalim and the Naga people, to protect and defend the aforementioned “non-negotiable” rights.

He further claimed that the NSCN (IM) had given India the “finest opportunity to resolve the decades-old Indo-Naga political conflict on the basis of the letter and spirit of the officially signed FA” and had adopted its current position and political steps because of the “betrayal.”

The NSCN (IM) Ato Kilonser also urged the Naga people to “stand firm wherever you are and be resolute for Nagalim’s unique history and her sovereign existence.” He assured that the NSCN (IM) is “prepared and ready to defend and protect Nagalim’s unique history and Nagalim’s sovereign national existence.”

Muivah, however, reiterated that for an honourable political agreement, the GoI must respect and honour the letter and spirit of the FA. He also pointed out that he and the late Chairman Isak Chishi Swu had entered negotiations out of respect for international political norms in resolving conflicts through peaceful political negotiation, as well as honouring the commitment of India’s Prime Ministers, including PV Narasimha Rao, HD Deve Gowda, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and others, to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue peacefully.

Accordingly, the Indo-Naga political negotiation began on August 1, 1997, between the two entities based on broad-based principles, he said. These principles included that talks would be unconditional, conducted at the highest level, i.e., at the Prime Ministerial level, held outside India in a third country, and with an open-ended provision for a third-party witness.

Since August 1, 1997, more than 600 rounds of political negotiation have taken place between the GoI and the NSCN on these principles, at the Prime Ministerial level and outside India, he noted. Subsequently, two significant official agreements were signed between the two entities, during the Prime Ministerships of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi respectively: the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002, and the FA of August 3, 2015.

Among other elements, the letter and spirit of the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué officially recognised and acknowledged the unique history and situation of Nagalim as “never a part of India or Myanmar (erstwhile Burma), either by consent or conquest,” and not an internal matter of either country, he claimed.

Meanwhile, Muivah argued that the letter and spirit of the 2015 FA officially “recognised and acknowledged that the Indo-Naga issue is a political conflict between two sovereign entities,” with inherent rights over a flag and constitution. He added that the cornerstone of an honourable political agreement between India and Nagalim lies in respecting and honouring this letter and spirit.