NIPA urges Modi to recognise undivided Naga territory

Dimapur, Sep. 10 (EMN): The Naga Indigenous People Alliance (NIPA) has drawn the attention of the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, to recognise the undivided Naga territory and also grant self-governing associate statehood to the Nagas as a win-win Indo-Naga solution based on the Framework Agreement (FA), 2015.

In a memorandum to the prime minister of India, NIPA has requested to grant recognition of undivided Naga territory as an “Associate State” to establish a new relationship with India by sharing sovereign powers between the two entities as envisaged in the FA.

NIPA has also urged to ensure a broad and inclusive single agreement of all Naga stakeholders, who are in dialogue with the government of India as well as upgrade the Indian negotiation team by inclusion of more members with political and legal expertise and representatives from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) led by an able interlocutor of high integrity with broader international outlook to enable the finishing touch of the detailed workout of the Framework Agreement.

It also appealed the PM to actively pursue real and lasting peace through the principle of peace and non-violence until a win-win solution is mutually arrived at.

NIPA pointed out that the Naga struggle for recognition of undivided Naga territorial homeland and her nationhood has reached 91 years since the Naga Club’s submission of Naga memoranda to Simon Commission on January 10, 1929, asserting that Nagas be left alone to determine their own future. It added that the Naga peoples’ declaration of independence on August 14, 1947, a day ahead of India and the 99.9 % verdict of Naga plebiscite of May 16, 1951, rejecting to join the union of India and the then Burma (Myanmar) are indestructible Naga national history.

It added that the 1951 Naga plebiscite and declaration of Naga independence are the unique histo-political and national foundation of the Nagas laid down under the aegis of the then Naga National Council (NNC) led by AZ Phizo, who is still fondly remembered as the father of Naga nation (Naga Yur).

NIPA stated that a rapidly rising India under his (Modi) strong, visionary, humane, and dynamic leadership can transform the painful historical course into a new horizon of goodwill, trust, co-operation, peaceful co-existence and lawful association between India and the Nagas as two entities in this new millennium. It also felt that it is an opportune time for the prime minister to fulfil the assurance made to the Nagas for a new era of freedom, mutual respect, friendship, partnership and prosperity on August 3, 2015, a historic day of signing the Framework Agreement between the government of India (GOI) and NSCN (IM).

The NIPA memorandum stated that since the signing of ceasefire in 1997, Naga armies, on their part, have not touched even one Indian army as a gesture of their maturity and genuine commitment to peace and political solution. It added that signing of the ceasefire had led to dramatic yielding of peace, goodwill and trust in the whole of Indian sub-continent. It, therefore, stated that India cannot afford to destroy and forfeit the hard earned peace, goodwill and trust that has dawned a new bright common future.

NIPA has attributed rigid political stand adopted by the negotiating parties of both sides as the primary reason for not being able to work out a permanent Indo-Naga solution despite many attempts in the past nearly 74 years.

“Whereas the government of India wanted Nagaland to be a full-fledged Indian state to be governed by the constitution of India, Nagas on the other hand firmly insisted for full sovereignty and independence based on its unique historical and political rights,” the memorandum read.

It reminded that attempts made in the Naga-Akbar Hyderi Accord of 1947, 16-Point Agreement of 1960, Indo-Naga peace talk of 1964, and Shillong Accord of 1975 could not resolve the Indo-Naga political conflict due to the said extreme stands.

NIPA stated that Clause 2 and 13 of the 16-Point Agreement, which respectively provide for the present state of Nagaland to be put under the in-charge of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the integration of contiguous Naga areas under one administrative area, if Nagas so desire, are now completely reduced to mockery with no relevance.

It also mentioned that many attempts in the past to resolve the Naga issue within the union of India under the purview of Article 3, 4, and 7th Schedule read with Article 245 and 246 of the constitution of India have miserably failed. According to NIPA, it was because despite their logistic disadvantages, Nagas are truly national-minded who firmly believe that a complete merger either with India or Myanmar would entirely destroy and forfeit the sacred Naga national foundation, territorial integrity and very hard earned national identity of the Nagas.

Besides, it would also forfeit Nagas’ membership to the Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organisation (UNPO) at Hague, Netherlands, in which Nagas have been admitted based on the qualifying criteria that Nagas are a long struggling indigenous nations yet to be recognised as UN member.

“Nagas could have easily solved their problems like any other princely states/ territories within the union of India even without sacrificing a single soul if not for their abiding love of their nationhood,” NIPA stated.

It added that there could have been even 2/3 Naga states in India or all contiguous Naga territories being integrated under one administrative umbrella had the Nagas dropped their nationality issue long time ago. It, therefore, stated that the issue of a complete merger either in India or Myanmar, which Nagas apprehend would ultimately destroy their nationality, is a non-negotiable subject.

NIPA felt that the issue should be dealt with once and for all only by conducting a new Naga Referendum if at all required and not by negotiation. The underlying issues of negotiation, therefore, strictly confines to dejure recognition of Naga territory, finding a workable model of its new political status with international bearing and, sharing of sovereign powers (competencies) with India, it added.

NIPA also believes that the BJP-led NDA government under his leadership could change the olden narrative of extremity, rigidity and exclusivity between India and the Nagas by signing the historic Framework Agreement of 2015.

It stated that the recognition of the unique history and position of the Nagas in the FA literally means India’s recognition of Naga territory and its nationality, which is not an integral part of India. Another prominent feature of FA, according to NIPA, was that despite Nagas’ legitimate right to be fully independent state, it was however mutually agreed that sovereign powers, as defined in the competencies, would be shared between the two entities and begin to establish a new relationship to promote peaceful co-existence.

“The literal and grammatical interpretation of the principle finds universal cognisance in as much as FA signifies the recognition of the unincorporated Naga territorial entity whose political status will come to one step down from complete independence and one step up from complete merger in India as a full-fledged Indian state. In such a given position, Naga flag and constitution is the prerogative of the Nagas. These two ingredients are inherent part of a nationality already recognised by FA which are fundamental for symbolising the Naga national identity and determining the system and structure of Naga self-government. India can at the best protect, help, guide and endorse a vibrant and democratic constitution (Yazebo) for the Nagas,” the memorandum read.

NIPA added that the shared sovereignty concept, which is the key principle of FA, if correctly construed, was considered the most workable and acceptable middle path win-win approach compatible to the changing contemporary reality of interdependence around the world and more particularly between India and the Nagas as much as it envisaged a self-governing Associate Statehood (unincorporated territory) for the Nagas who would freely and lawfully associate with India by sharing her sovereign powers (defense, external affairs, finance, currency, communication, trade and commerce, 3-tier citizenship etc.).

Although many Nagas preferred for state of Palestine model with “UN observer state status,” NIPA stated that it was a considered view that self-governing associate state of Cook Island – New Zealand model might best fit the Naga case as it has to actively associate and share sovereign competencies with India as clearly agreed in the FA and its detail work out.

It would enable the future restoration of Naga territories in Myanmar under one administrative entity, it stated.

NIPA said that Nagas still hope and believe that the Prime Minister of India, who is a world class leader with strong global influence, would truly love justice, peace, freedom and humanity for others especially the long struggling Nagas as much as he loves it for himself and his country.

It further stated that the prevailing crisis of Indo-Naga political talk, that has reached more than 23 years, could be resolved only when contents of FA are correctly construed and work out the competencies in detail by a more competent larger Indian negotiation team possessing legal and political expertise with broader international outlook and personalities.