No mineral exploration in Naga areas until political issue is resolved, says NSCN (IM)

DIMAPUR– The NSCN (IM) has stated that it is resolute in its stand not to allow exploration of oil and natural gas in Naga territories in any form until an honourable political settlement between the Nagas and the government of India is reached.

This came amid reports about Nagaland and Assam governments mooting a joint oil exploration along the disputed border areas of the two states, sparking a backlash from various quarters. The Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) too had earlier expressed its objection to the proposed venture.

While maintaining that the government of India has been “casting covetous eyes” on Nagas’ mineral wealth, particularly petroleum, ever since the Nagaland state was created in 1963, the NSCN (IM) said its standing order issued more than two decades ago not to allow exploration and extraction of mineral in Naga areas before resolving the protracted Naga political issue, still stands.

“Therefore, no amount of justification in the name of mobilizing financial resources for development will stand to ride roughshod over the inalienable Naga people’s rights over their land resources,” read the press statement.

“Ironically, this oil issue has come at the time when the Government of India is showing no sincerity and commitment to respect the historical and political rights of the Naga people as enshrined in the historic Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, and pulling the Indo-Naga political talks for more than 25 years on flimsy ground of negotiating on the non-negotiable issue of Naga National Flag and Constitution,” it added.

The group said that no authority will be given the liberty to exploit “the 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves” of the Nagas as long as the “government of India continues to handle the Naga political issue with flattering and betraying fashion”.

The NSCN (IM) also stated that the government of India should demonstrate political commitment in the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks.

Maintaining that ‘Nagas would not like to stand out as a laughing stock before the world when the Naga political issue is still made to look like a strange shambling figure after signing the Framework Agreement in 2015, it said “what belongs to the Naga people will not be allowed to be subjugated like we find during the era of colonialism” and priority has to be set in correct perspective.