Synopsis
On February 21, officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and NSCN-IM leaders met to plan new formal talks aimed at resolving the ongoing Naga political issue, emphasizing the commitment to advance discussions.Key Takeaways
- New talks between government and NSCN-IM are imminent.
- MHA’s A.K. Mishra is leading the discussions.
- NSCN-IM demands include a separate flag and constitution.
- Recognition of Naga history acknowledged by the Indian government.
- Ongoing negotiations with NNPGs since 2017.
Kohima, Feb 21 (NationPress) Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and leading members of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) convened in Dimapur on Friday, reaching a consensus to initiate new formal discussions between the government and the primary Naga faction shortly, officials disclosed.
A Nagaland government representative indicated that MHA’s advisor for the North East, A.K. Mishra, held discussions on Friday with NSCN-IM’s General Secretary and chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah, covering various aspects of the Naga political matter.
“Two other senior figures from the NSCN-IM participated in the discussions. Both parties agreed to conduct formal talks promptly to advance the long-standing Naga political issue,” the official remarked under conditions of anonymity.
Mishra, who arrived in Nagaland on Thursday, also met with the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in Dimapur on the same day.
The NNPGs, an alliance comprising seven additional Naga factions, have been negotiating with the central government, culminating in an “Agreed Position” in 2017.
The last formal dialogue between the government and the NSCN-IM took place in October of the previous year. Recently, the NSCN-IM asserted that if Indians honor the history of the Nagas, the Nagas would reciprocate by honoring the history of India tenfold.
During the 46th raising day event of the NSCN-IM at their headquarters 'Hebron', Vice Chairman Tongmeth Wangnao stated that the Indian government has acknowledged the rights of the Nagas on two significant occasions. He highlighted that the first official acknowledgment of Naga history's uniqueness occurred on July 11, 2002, during a meeting in Amsterdam, followed by the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the principal architect of this historic agreement.
Notably, PM Modi was supported by numerous high-ranking officials, including the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chief of Army Staff, among other prominent dignitaries.
The NSCN-IM leader remarked that while the outcome of the Naga political discussions rests with God, “we must redefine our divine connection under the banner of 'Nagalim for Christ'.”
The Union government has been engaged in political negotiations with the NSCN-IM since the ceasefire agreement was signed in 1997, and the Framework Agreement followed in 2015. Additionally, the government initiated concurrent discussions with the NNPGs in 2017, which led to the signing of the Agreed Position in November 2017. The NSCN-IM remains steadfast in its demands for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas, as well as the integration of Naga-dominated regions across four northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, along with areas in Myanmar.
