We doubt the sincerity of Indian government — NSCN (IM)

Dimapur, Jan. 26 (EMN): The NSCN (IM) has accused the government of India (GoI) of deliberately rejecting the Framework Agreement (FA) principle and violating ceasefire ground rules by its security forces and intelligence agencies, particularly the National Investigation Agency (NIA), saying that it has created trust deficit.

The group said this through a press release issued by its Ministry of Information and Publicity wing on Sunday that the statement was needed “in view of the urgency to save the political dialogue instead of creating distrust at this stage and demolishing the political negotiation”.

The NSCN (IM) stated that it agreed to have political dialogue with the GoI in 1997 only after the latter acknowledged the Indo-Naga issue as “political” and some positive steps like official recognition of the “unique history and situation” of the Nagas in 2002 and signing of FA on August 3, 2015, happened during the course of more than two decades of political dialogue. It added that the FA ‘recognised the need to end violent confrontation and sovereign right of the Naga people and peaceful co-existence of the two entities through the sharing of the sovereign power’.

“However, much to the indignation of NSCN, the more than two decades of ceasefire and political dialogue has witnessed innumerable violation of Ceasefire Ground Rules by the GoI (violations which are well documented), its security forces and its intelligence agencies particularly the National Investigation Agency (NIA) whose power has been increased in the name of checking terrorism and protecting India’s national security,” read the statement.

“The NIA has been acting with impunity and intensified its activities particularly after the ultimatum served by the GoI interlocutor in July, 2019 and the deliberate rejection of the FA principle wherein the sovereign rights of the Naga people to use its national flag and constitution has been officially acknowledged,” it added.

It accused the intelligence agency of implicating the members of the NSCN (IM) within India’s law and order acts and regulations while “protecting criminals”, and said that the recent case of Cabinet Kilonser Alemla Jamir being charged for “terror funding”, came as shock considering the more than two decades of talks between the two parties. In this regard, it said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the GoI and the NSCN (IM) on November 18 in 2002, at Milan, Italy, officially agreed to lift the ban on the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and that other Rules, Regulations and Acts would be reviewed after considering the progress of the dialogue.

“However, of late the activities of GoI intelligence agencies, particularly the NIA has definitely created trust deficit in the minds of the Nagas and the NSCN. We doubt the sincerity of the GoI in concluding an acceptable and honourable political solution considering its “carrot and stick” policy. It is only when the GoI starts respecting its commitment, not otherwise, can the political dialogue move forward in the spirit of ‘mutual trust and understanding’,” read the statement.

It went on to say that “the unrestrained excessive activities of NIA will certainly reverse the clock back towards the pre-ceasefire period which witnessed intensive militarisation, violent conflict and serious violation of human rights. The situation will certainly go out of control if the GoI does not take corrective measures in the true spirit of the ongoing political dialogue between and GoI and the NSCN.”