Dimapur, June 17 (EMN): The United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed dismay over Nagaland BJP President and minister Temjen Imna Along’s remark on the ongoing Naga political issue during his recent interview with a television channel.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the apex body of Naga tribes of Manipur stated that it was “unfortunate” that Along was ‘trying to make a political fortune out of the Naga political issue at the expense of the costly Naga people’s sacrifices over the past more than 70 years’.
“We are all quite aware that the government of India and the Naga people had signed three failed agreements in the past — the 9 Point Agreement (Sir Akbar-Hydari) signed on June 26 to 28th, 1947, the 16 Point Agreement signed on July 26, 1960 and the Shillong Accord signed on November 11, 1975.
“Having failed to bring the desired political aspirations of the Naga people, violent armed confrontations resumed between the Indian armed forces and the Naga army till the signing of the second cease-fire agreement in 1997 between GoI and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland on three conditions,” read the statement.
It stated that the Naga movement has been associated with Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jaya Prakash Narayan.
“Thus, starting from the first prime minister of independent India pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the subsequent prime ministers and now with the present prime minister, Narendra Modi, the historic Indo-Naga Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, with the aim to carry on the peace talks ahead in finding an early inclusive honourable and acceptable political settlement,” it added.
