Bharat Bhushan, the editor of Catch News, had stated that, as according to a Naga source;(Quote): “The two sides (i.e The Government of India and the NSCN(IM) ) would strive for a mutually acceptable and peaceful settlement, recognizing the complexities and difficulties of each other. This means that just as the Indian Government was trying to understand the Nagas, so would the Nagas try to appreciate the political difficulties of the Government in trying to meet their aspirations.”(Unquote).
The Naga people are not trying to understand, but have already understood the political difficulties of the Government of India long before the BJP led NDA Government under Narendra Modi came to power. Equally in the same manner, The Government of India during the Congress led regime headed by the late Narashima Rao has recognized the decades old Naga problem as a Political issue as it is a Pre Independent India struggle, while the BJP led NDA Government headed by A.B. Vajpayee recognized The ‘Uniqueness of the Naga History and the situation. Hence, the Naga people have already watered down the legitimate right of stubbornly demanding a separate Naga Nation State from the Indian Union. It is on these bases that negotiations/peace process has been persued for the last eighteen years culminating in the historic ‘Framework Agreement’ of 3rd August 2015.
The people of Nagaland have long been looking forward to an early political settlement that is honorable and acceptable to the people, and is more than willing to welcome any new arrangement that will have brought about the bringing together of all Naga brothers and sisters under the common destiny of an administrative unit, and remain as a part and parcel of the Indian Nation. But, to the horror of Nagaland, the Government of India today seems to be eager to blatantly hoodwink the Naga people as was done in 1960 by the Sixteen Point Agreement.
According to Bharat Bhushan’s article, four points of agreement has been reached. The first one says that:(Quote): “A Pan Naga Hoho (essentially a supreme Naga Council cutting across Naga inhabited states) will be created as a statutory apex body with legislative, budgetary and negotiating powers. This will be an elected body and govern the Nagas eventually.”(Unquote).
Now, what sort of an agreement is this? It reads more or less like small children playing house, designating themselves as to who should be the father and the mother. What does the word “eventually” means in the last sentence of the agreement? “Eventually” in a signed agreement is a word which is the seed of all distrust, differences and conflicts. Anyway, no Government lasts forever. And an “eventually” for the Government of the day can be a “never” for the Government of tomorrow. Nagas today cannot be bartered away with an “eventually.”
The second point in the said agreement reads:(Quote): “Pending the integration of the Naga areas outside Nagaland into a single administrative unit, Regional Autonomous District Council (RADCs) will be created for the Naga-inhabited districts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. These will come under the Pan Naga Hoho.”(Unquote).
There is merit in this second point of the agreement. The formation of RADCs will greatly alleviate the sufferings of the Naga-inhabitants in the said states. The state of Nagaland and its people, however, pending the integration of Naga areas outside Nagaland into a single administrative unit, will have absolutely nothing to do with any agreement or arrangement that the Government of India enters with the concerned Naga inhabitants in the states of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland cannot undermine or undervalue itself for the sake of something which is pending, and depending on eventuality. There is all legitimacy in constituting a Pan Naga Hoho compromising of the Naga RADCs of the states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Until the “pending” and the “eventually” becomes a reality the state of Nagaland is more than happy with its own set of Hohos and apex NGOs, and will have nothing to do with the Pan Naga Hoho.
Agreement point three states that: (Quote): “The Indian Parliament will enact a Special Naga Law which will be incorporated in the Indian Constitution. The Special Naga Law will contain the division of competencies – subjects in the State, Union and Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution – between the Centre and the Nagas. In this way, what the NSCN(IM) calls the Naga Constitution will become an integral part of the Indian Constitution.” (Unquote).
The last vestige of the Naga prestige and honor that is left in the long drawn Naga Political Struggle is the integration of all the Naga inhabited areas under a single administrative unit and thus, a common destiny. Without achieving this end, which is the least, how can we sell off this last remaining family heirloom by incorporating our heritage, once and for all time, into the Constitution of India? With due respect and in all thankfulness to the Government of India, The Nagas, as a distinct race of people with a unique history cannot do away with our, this, integrity. This, the Government of India must understand.
Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science, during his Nagaland visit, had said: (Quote): “We want Nagaland to grow in everything, be it in terms of facilities or other basic necessities. However, whatever improvement has to be done, it has to be done by the local administration. The centre can only help, guide and support from outside,” and that, “actual implementation of developmental activities is a state subject and not the centre.” (Unquote).
When, even for the developmental activities, as rightly stated by the Union Minister, it is the people of the state who are solely responsible for its implementation, the very destiny of the people and the state has to be in the hands and will of the people, and not imposed upon.
Benito Z.Swu
