WC-NNPG opposes Nagaland government's call for a new interlocutor, urging implementation of concluded Indo-Naga political agreements instead.
DIMAPUR — The Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) on Thursday expressed opposition to Nagaland government’s recent demand for appointment of a new Union minister-level interlocutor for the Indo-Naga peace process, describing it as an attempt to delay the implementation of the already negotiated political settlement.
In a statement, the WC-NNPG maintained that political negotiations with the government of India had officially concluded and argued that any decision on appointing an interlocutor rests solely with the negotiating parties, not with those acting as facilitators.
Referring to the Centre's earlier appointment of Union ministers such as Oscar Fernandes, Prithviraj Chavan and Raghunath Jha to oversee the peace process, the committee questioned what had been achieved through ministerial interlocutors and asserted that reopening the issue now would only sabotage the negotiated settlement.
The WC-NNPG alleged that the demand for a minister-level interlocutor was "insensible and discourteous" to the Naga people and accused those raising it of undermining years of negotiations and sacrifices made by both the government of India and Naga negotiators.
The group further claimed that the role of facilitators was being conflated with that of negotiating entities. It asserted that elected representatives should instead press for the implementation of the negotiated agreements rather than seek fresh negotiations.
Calling on Nagaland government to demonstrate its commitment to an early political solution, the WC- NNPG urged the state government to convene a special session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and formally appeal to the Centre for the implementation of the negotiated settlement.
It maintained that if the Assembly did not support the existing Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position, it should make its stand clear.
The WC-NNPG also stated that it had, since 2019, placed its "Status Paper" in the public domain outlining what it described as a practical political and administrative solution for Nagaland and Naga-inhabited areas. It claimed that, apart from remarks made by former Governor RN Ravi in 2021 stating that negotiations had "successfully concluded", it had received no official response from the state government.
Maintaining that the peace talks had reached their conclusion, the WC-NNPG suggested that the focus should now be on implementing the negotiated agreements rather than reopening the process through the appointment of a new interlocutor.