The Naga National Council (NNC)/Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) has responded to the recent “Fed-up Nagas” rally, saying it understands the growing impatience among the Naga people over the unresolved Indo-Naga political issue but cautioning that any political settlement should not come at the cost of what it described as the Nagas’ historical rights.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NNC/FGN said the rally organised by a group of Naga youths reflected the accumulated frustration of generations of Nagas who have waited for a political settlement after decades of conflict and uncertainty.
“It is not merely a protest; it is a collective reminder that patience is not inexhaustible,” the organisation said, adding that the youths’ call for an early political settlement deserved serious consideration.
While expressing empathy with the desire for an early resolution, the NNC/FGN cautioned against accepting what it termed a hurried settlement simply because it promised immediacy.
“A hurried solution devoid of historical rights and political vision is no solution at all,” it stated, posing the question of how an immediate, pragmatic, honourable and acceptable solution could be achieved without compromising the core principles of the Naga political movement.
Reiterating its long-held position, the NNC/FGN said the Naga political movement, beginning with the formation of the Naga National Council, was founded on what it described as the inherent sovereign rights of the Naga nation and the right of its people to determine their own future. It referred to historical events such as the declaration of Naga independence on August 14, 1947, the 1951 plebiscite and the boycott of the 1952 Indian General Election as milestones underpinning its political position.
The organisation further stated that various Indo-Naga agreements, including the 16-Point Agreement, the Shillong Accord, the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position, should be understood and assessed in the context of what it described as the historical and political rights of the Naga people.
The statement also paid tribute to Naga political pioneers, saying they had rejected positions, privileges and political compromise in pursuit of the Naga cause. It said the present generation had a responsibility to preserve that legacy and cautioned against “diluting, reinterpreting or bartering away” what it described as the political inheritance left by earlier generations.
Calling for an early political settlement, the NNC/FGN maintained that any solution should remain rooted in the historical rights and political aspirations of the Naga people rather than expedient compromise.
The statement was issued by Rali Wali, NNC/FGN, under the leadership of Zhopra Vero.
