The Indo-Naga Political Settlement Is On The Wrong Track: The Culprit Is Not Who You Think

The Indo-Naga political settlement has dragged on endlessly without producing any significant progress despite decades of a ceasefire; a grim outlook lingers, shaped by the players’ actions and inactions, some of which predate the Statehood. Together, the cumulative and counterproductive deeds remain major stumbling blocks. While the Nagas blame India for using delaying tactics in the settlement process, India, on the other hand, condemns and ridicules the Nagas for their inherent puerile mentality, highlighted by fraternal betrayals and manipulative maneuvers; thus, giving India an unexpected advantage. So, who’s to blame?

The Naga freedom movement has turned into nothing more than a political football match within the various faction groups for power and greed. (Let me be clear: I have never accused any one individual, for that would amount to character assassination, and I am no stranger to getting slanders and false accusations, but this is no place to talk about that here because we have more critical issues of national interest to deliberate).

Without digging further into the pernicious past that brought catastrophic damages to a genuinely worthy cause, Nagas needs to focus on current hurdles and find ways to move forward. If the 16-Point Agreement (1960) and the Shillong Accord (1975) sowed discord, the current FA deepened the Naga national divide. Similar to the previous nemeses, the I-Minitiated FA repeated the failure to include the participation of all the Naga stakeholders. Thus, the once invincible Naga freedom movement fissured so deeply that it became vulnerable to further erosion and brought India an unexpected windfall, reaping dividends at the expense of the Naga leaders’ lack of wisdom and judgment. All these missteps, including pointless dialogues with different groups, make the current FA any success a moot point, much less sustainable until Nagas remove hurdles and take appropriate steps moving forward in a unified and conciliatory effort. 

It is hard to imagine how a political solution of this magnitude can be achieved without uniting and gaining the input of all the Naga groups and stakeholders. The Nagas society comprises dozens of tribes, and their diversity is what they are all about. And diversity is a critical component of unity because it brings together bright and challenging ideas and strengthens unity. Of course, unity is meant to produce good results. Otherwise, what’s the use?  But the Nagas’ combined missteps have caused considerable damage to the settlement process in part because they have caused Naga unity to devolve into numerous and competing groups. The answer now is for all Naga groups to stop finger-pointing and bickering and start uniting into a single voice for the good of all Nagas and future generations. As expressed in my previous articles, no constructive measures can be achieved until the Nagas move past the discord and disagreement into a unified group.

A framework agreement is not a final agreement, but a means to an end. The final settlement should produce a signed Treaty. Negotiation is a process. So, a framework agreement provides an instrument for negotiation for the parties involved. In this case, the parties are the Indian government and the Naga Freedom Movement (not just one or two faction groups). FA is an essential element, an agreed-upon agenda—a platform—for further negotiations until a settlement is reached. Therefore, careful deliberations are crucial among all stakeholders before starting with the contesting party. FA can be rescinded when proven for fraud, such as the failure to bring all stakeholders is considered invalid. The I-M’s inability to represent the voice of the Naga populace makes the current FA deceptive, rendering it null. It lacked the participation of all the Naga stakeholders. Also, failure to address other critical issues such as integration in the negotiation makes it even more controversial.

As an essential component of the more extensive process of designing and implementing a final agreement, the ceasefire between the Nagas and India was a silver lining in one of the subcontinent’s longest-standing armed conflicts. Yet rather than making the ceasefire a confidence-building measure, the ceasefire has lost its zeal, contributing to a slackening of the patriotic spirit because of the Naga groups pursuing their self-interests. This issue is demonstrated by how the various groups are vying to earn the title of bringing victory to this long-standing saga by meeting central Indian leaders pleading for the final settlement without realising their follies. When will all these acts of shamelessness and ignorance end?

The Nagas must understand that no single person or party can accomplish their goal, for it is no small feat. The work will require the collective action, commitment, and collaboration of every Naga society. Shared principles and collective actions are the best building blocks for attaining the Nagas’ ultimate goal. If the Nagas have lost sight of it, they need only look at the Ukrainians. No words can describe their patriotic efforts. Not only ordinary citizens and the bulk of the unknown soldiers answering the call to defend the nation but Ukrainian millionaires and billionaires who have left their businesses and families used their own resources to fight for their country. The Nagas should learn lessons from the Ukrainians’ patriotic spirit and actions.

 The stumbling block now to a final agreement is a lack of unity. The key to success then is to move forward with positive and constructive postures only when all the Nagas are united. But unity for the sake of unity is not the answer either. Unity without real meaning and purpose would be like a person having no backbone. While the unity of opinion is impractical, unity for a common goal is achievable in a democratic system of honest and constructive efforts. Unity demands compromise. And when the Nagas understand these fundamental ideas, the Indo-Naga political settlement process will get on track and move forward. 

Dr. Vikuosa Nienu