Naga deal: Agenda kept secret from people, says Nagaland Tribes Council

EMN
Dimapur, August 12

The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has urged the State government not to be swayed by emotion and selfish interest while handling the role of facilitator and to beware of transforming the hard earned State of Nagaland into nobody’s land but everybody’s State.
The NTC asserted that from the beginning of the dialogue between GoI and NSCN (IM) till they arrived at an “accord” or re-coined as ‘frame work’ or ‘preamble’ on August 3, the agenda has been kept secret from the people of Nagaland, and that nothing short of inclusive talk can bring about lasting political settlement.
A statement issued by NTC President Lendinoktang Ao and General Secretary Nribemo Ngullie said, following the telecast publicity of the arrival of agreement, few sections of Naga started welcoming the Accord including the Chief Minister of Nagaland giving a ‘clarion call’ to people to support it.
“Whereas, when not an iota of the content agreement is known to the public of Nagaland, the question of welcoming or rejection of such agreement does not arise. The acceptance or rejection of the agreement will solely depend on the merits and demerits of the contents of agreement.”
NTC said, it can never endorse a blank cheque nor can it accept any clause when found detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people of Nagaland.
However, the NTC appreciated the bold and decisive action of Narendra Modi in bringing the Accord attempting to bring a political solution and urged the Prime Minister of India to initiate similar approaches and sign accords with all other major NPGs to bring hon’ble and permanent settlement by taking everyone on board.
“Although the detail contents of the agenda are kept as confidential from the Nagas of Nagaland, the two most major issues as sovereignty and integration are obviously left to be non-issues as per media report. It is therefore imperative that anything that is agreed upon will be well within the ambit of Indian Constitution, and nothing above the status of Statehood whatever may be the interpretation.”
The NTC said it is also critical of the consultative meeting convened by Speaker, NLA who is the Chairman of Nagaland Legislature Forum on July 31 at Jotsoma to which a major indigenous Tribe from Nagaland was not invited.
“Besides, other NPGs who are not adverse to peaceful and lasting solution were not taken into confidence sans the principle of inclusiveness which is indispensable and major ingredient for lasting peace. Whatever may be the attitude of the people in power, the NTC shall steadfastly continue to represent the citizens of the state and project their aspirations at all levels.”
The NTC is apprehensive that the govt. of the day may have tendency to please others at the cost of its people and their land for selfish political games.
“Today, people talk about ‘broader autonomy’ and NTC questions when the lands in foothills which belongs to the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland is to be sacrificed in the guise of NSDZs or to be mortgaged for the so-called broader autonomy or better status is unacceptable – such autonomy or status at the expense of our limited valuable land will be a complete defeat of the purpose. Therefore, such malicious autonomy or status is never the aspiration of the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland.”
The NTC said it always stands for territorial integration of all contiguous Naga areas into one. “Whereas, when there is no territorial integration, the ground reality of the status quo of Nagas living in different states has to be accepted till such time territorial integration takes place in future. And whereas, without territorial integration, NTC does not accept mere population integration in the manner of giving tribal status to Rongmeis in Nagaland whatever may be charted out as its mechanism. The accommodation of Nagas from other states in the tiny and unexpanding state of Nagaland is indeed detrimental to the interest of indigenous Nagas of Nagaland except that we continue to have fraternal brotherhood and peaceful coexistence amongst the Nagas wherever the Nagas are.”
While neighboring States of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal are apprehensive of infringement on territorial integrity of each of them by the Accord, the NTC said the Nagas of Nagaland cannot be complacent as though our inherent rights would not be infringed too by the same accord unless the contents are tabled in the public domain for wider consultation and accrue consensus thereof prior to finalization.