Former minister K Therie has said President’s Rule would be the “quickest way” to work out and implement the agreements on the Naga political issue, arguing that the Centre and State government are responsible for working out the details and execution plan.
In a statement, Therie referred to the last paragraph of the Framework Agreement (FWA), which states that “the two sides agreed that within this framework, agreement details and an execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly.”
He questioned how long the word “shortly” was meant to be in the FWA, and said the Centre and State government must work out the details and execution plan “in the interest of stakeholders within the principles of the FWA and Agreed Position.”
“The State is a party to the GOI in signing the FWA and Agreed Points, as they function under one Constitution,” Therie said, alleging that the State government was “behaving like a third party without an agenda.”
He questioned why the NPF government was demanding a committee to talk when, according to him, the talks had concluded six years ago and the Naga National Workers (NNWs) stood by their agreements.
“There is no justification to demand a new interlocutor or committee,” he said, adding that there was still scope to “add or delete while working out details.”
Therie alleged that the NPF government did not want a solution and accused it of being a “roadblock” to the political settlement.
He also claimed that the Government of India had rejected the Chief Minister’s proposal for the appointment of a new interlocutor for fresh talks based on the concluded talks.
Therie questioned the government’s position on a minister-level committee, saying the NPF government had stated in its 80th Independence Day speech that such a committee had been constituted.
“He is now saying the Apex Committee will talk; where is that Apex Committee notification?” he asked.
“The CM is expected to be consistent and honest with his people,” Therie said.
On the question of implementation, he said the issue was not about starting the political talks afresh but about implementing the agreements.
“Since CM cannot sit with PM or UHM to work out the details, PR is the quickest way to implement the Agreements,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong in demanding PR for it is CM and NPF party’s own commitment ‘to pave the way’,” Therie added.
Therie also criticised recent remarks concerning former Chief Minister Dr S.C. Jamir, whom he described as “the tallest living leader of Nagaland”.
He said he was “hurt” when Rh. Raising allegedly insulted Jamir by saying that he had no right to speak for a political solution.
Therie recalled that Jamir had persuaded then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 to “offer talks without preconditions”.
“This big heart opened the way for negotiated agreements,” he said.
Therie further said that the FWA had “surrendered the issues of sovereignty and integration” and called on Nagas from outside Nagaland to restrain themselves from speaking on behalf of Nagaland and insulting its leaders and community.
“Nagaland people’s hospitality has been taken as weakness for too long. We need to live with mutual respect,” he said.
Therie also criticised NPF Secretary General and Advisor Achumbemo Kikon, saying his “first duty is to protect the people of Nagaland” and accusing the NPF of having “continued to defend lawlessness and delay of implementation for the last 23 years” through policies of “equi-closeness, active facilitation and inclusiveness.”
He alleged that the NPF had “joined the insurgents” and had been “using factions to suppress the stakeholders and corrupt the state govt together.”
Therie further claimed that the NPF represented “the Nagas outside more than the public of Nagaland” and questioned the political interests of some of its members.
He maintained that the issue was about implementing the agreements and “nothing personal”.
“All about a political solution and no personal agenda,” Therie said.
