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Dimapur, Jan. 12 (EMN): NSCN (IM) on Tuesday stated that the Framework Agreement (FA) signed with the government of India on August 3, 2015, after six decades, was to 'end violent confrontation once and for all and to usher in comprehensive progress in consonance with the genius of the Naga people'.
“The Indo-Naga political struggle that finally runs into the historic Framework Agreement (FA) signed on the 3rd August, 2015, completed six (6) decades. The struggle that began with the British Rule is all a different matter. The FA was signed as both NSCN and GoI have agreed to end the violent confrontation once and for all and to usher in comprehensive progress in consonance with the genius of the Naga people,” a statement from NSCN (IM) through its MIP stated.
“Let there be no confusion as the FA is talking about the Naga people’s resistance against the GoI that lasted about 6 decades. The genesis of the Nagas’s political assertion and resistance that began during the British Rule entered the second phase under the GoI that continued for about six decades until FA was signed,” it added.
NSCN (IM) stated that the FA became historic and crucially important as it was signed under the direct supervision of the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, in the presence of top dignitaries of the GoI. Stating that the same was live telecast, it said the world was made to witness adding every single word was well crafted to reflect the historical and political rights of the Naga people.
It recounted how the Naga people’s political struggle against foreign occupation went through a very important phase in history. According to the statement, it began with the resistance against the British led forces when they launched an expedition into Naga territory in 1832 under the command of Captain Jenkins and Captain Pemberton.
It provoked the British to set off more British military expeditions against the Nagas when the latter resolutely defended and refused to submit to the British empire. It added that the Nagas continued to struggle against the British domination against all odds.
On August 14, 1947, the Nagas under the NNC (Naga National Council) led by AZ Phizo declared Naga Independence from the British Rule, the statement added. It stated that the real conflict with India started when Nagas refused to join the Indian union when invited to do so in 1950.
It added that the Nagas asserted their political determination when on January 24, 1950, the NNC informed the Indian government, the United Nations (UN) and those countries that had their embassies in Delhi that the Nagas do not accept the Indian Constitution. Going further, it stated the NNC conducted Naga voluntary plebiscite on May 16, 1951, where 99.9% voted in favour of sovereign Naga state.
It was after the plebiscite that the NNC delegation met the then prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on March 11, 1952, to convey the will of the Naga people for an independent Naga state as expressed through the plebiscite. The statement went on to add that the government of India under Nehru was not ready to listen to accept Nagas’ point of assertion for their political rights.
Consequently, the struggle of Nagas against the British Rule became Indo-Naga political struggle as Nehru was determined to use military force to suppress Naga people’s resistance when he sent thousands of Indian troops to Nagalim beginning from 1954 onwards, the statement added.