India will never take up Naga flag, constitution once deal is struck, says NSCN (IM)

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 22 (EMN): The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) has said that the government of India (GoI) is “desperately trying to hoodwink” the Nagas again on unresolved issues — Naga flag, Constitution (Yehzabo) and Naga integration — by insisting that these sensitive issues can be taken up through democratic political (pre-requisite parliamentary enactment) process after the ‘Naga deal’ is signed. 

In its bi-monthly news bulletin ‘Nagalim Voice’, the group said that there is no historical support to give credence to this kind of ‘unprepossessing proposal’; and therefore told “Naga people not to be flattered again”.

The group stated that the 16-Point Agreement on Naga integration are reminders to Nagas that “nothing will matter to India once the Naga solution is signed and any leftover issues will never be allowed to come back to haunt the government”. 

It called upon the Nagas to recall the clause in point 13 of the 16-Point Agreement “left for future” in the matter of contiguous Naga areas to join the new state of Nagaland. However, with time the clause was soon forgotten and remains only in paper, the group warned; and added that the flattery should not be allowed to repeat.

The group also expressed disappointment at, what it stated, certain Naga political groups and a few civil society organisations pushing for Naga solution ‘by going down to their knees before the government of India, to accept whatever is vainly negotiated and offered sans Naga flag and constitution’. 

These groups, according to the NSCN (IM), have feigned indifference or failed to summon up some logical defence against such entreaties with regard to the contentious issues leaving it for future consideration. 

“This would be seen as committing an act of historical treachery if any Naga political groups go ahead for solution without the Naga flag and constitution. Such a deal will be a ‘sell out’ and a mockery before the world,” it stated.

However, the group expressed faith in the Modi-led BJP government that it will ‘live up to the spirit of framework agreement’ by honouring Naga flag and constitution ‘to undo the past mistakes’. It added that history will honour Modi for his “judicious decision”. 

The historical fact that Naga people have withstood the test of time for more than 70 years under the banner of Naga flag and guided by the constitution should be respected in letter and spirit in order to deliver justice to hundreds of thousands who have sacrificed their lives in defence of Naga political right and identity, it said.