16 June 2022
Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam
Hon’ble Sir,
The Global Naga Forum (GNF) gratefully acknowledges your kindness and statesmanship in taking time out of your extremely busy schedule to meet with us. You know the Naga political history as well as we do, but, unlike us, you are in a key position to influence a peaceful resolution of the long-running Indo-Naga political problem, which is why we are writing to you for your ready reference what we believe are essential elements of a just and honorable settlement for the Naga people.
The Assamese and the Nagas go way back in history, but in the early years of post-independent India, the government of Assam, especially in the person and the office of the third Chief Minister. Shri Bimala P. Chaliha, the Assamese-Naga political relations became critically important. History records that Chief Minister Chaliha did his best to help resolve the problem peacefully, but the conditions were different then, and we are where we are now. Today, as Chief Minister Chaliha’s successor, you are in a similar place regarding the still unresolved Indo-Naga problem. We are therefore requesting your kind attention and earnestly seek your intervention on our behalf.
After all these decades, the Naga people believe Government of India has understood the nature of the Naga cause. There’s got to be a meeting place between this understanding and the long held Naga aspiration for a just and honorable settlement. That meeting place would be the foundation for ending the conflict, because otherwise the present generation will pass on the same problem to the next generation and the next and so on.
The present situation has real challenges but also offers an opportunity for a permanent and peaceful resolution, in which you, Sir, may come to have a place in history. The Naga people are especially happy that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 3rd August 2015, while signing the Framework Agreement, expressed his commitment to ending the conflict and restoring the dignity of the Naga people.
Successive representatives of the Indian government have expressed many times that the negotiating parties will hammer out an “inclusive and honorable”political solution for the Naga people. For the Naga people, our stand is clear: commitment to our human dignity and rights as a people. We expect an Honorable Solution will be based on the following:
• Respect for Naga historical and political rights.
• Official recognition of Naga Flag and the Constitution.
• Inclusive Solution – a solution for all the Naga political groups and Naga areas.
• Demilitarization of the region.
• Complete autonomy in governance over all the ancestral Naga Homeland.
We have confidence that a just solution based on these commitments will restore Naga dignity and rights, end the armed conflicts in the region, and bring permanent peace not only in the region but in India and Myanmar. We request you, Sir, to be a helpful player for a just resolution of the problem so that the Naga people can finally look forward to peace in our homeland and with you and your people for a bright future together. We earnestly hope that you will help complete the good work your early predecessor Chief Minister B. P. Chaliha started, but could not. We pray that you can and will. Thank you.
Chuba Ozukum, Convener
Prof. Rosemary Dzuvichu, Co-Convener
Prof. Paul Pimomo, Secretary
James Wanglat, Advisor
