Will never surrender our sovereign right, our land and our people: Q Tuccu
Mokokchung, January 31 (MTNews): NSCN is mandated by the Naga people to negotiate with the Government of India for bringing an honorable solution to the long-drawn Indo-Naga political problem, said NSCN-IM chairman Q Tuccu while observing the 44th NSCN Raising Day at its general headquarters in Camp Hebron on Tuesday.
Tuccu said, “This is well reflected when we signed the historic framework agreement on August 3, 2015, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The chairman went on to say that 2022 was a challenging year for NSCN adding, “We were placed in an unpredictable situation as the Government of India failed to respect the commitment to solve the Naga issue based on the Framework Agreement.”
However, he continued that the group “shall hold the ground and never surrender our sovereign right, our land and our people at any eventuality.”
He reiterated that they will uphold the “recognized unique history and sovereign right of the Nagas at all cost,” and said that no other agreement should come in between.
“We cannot afford to dilute the sanctity of the Naga political issue under any pretext,” he said.
Stating that the Naga issue came into international focus when the framework pact was signed on the 3rd August, 2015, he lamented that the central government is “yet to fulfill its commitment to the Naga people, of which the world at large is the witness.”
He said that the NSCN-IM have stood the “acid test of time and brought the issue thus far.”
“NSCN is a principle-based organization. Our confrontation is principle-based; our negotiation is principle-based and solution will also be principle-based. Our stand on unity and reconciliation is also principle-based. Any move for solution or unity and reconciliation betraying the principle is treason,” he said.
“No one should doubt about it that NSCN is definitely for unity of all Nagas, but in the line of the principle,” he said.
He also paid homage to those who died in defense of the national principles and thanked the civil society in Nagalim and abroad, churches for their prayers and urged the people to “continue to exercise our revolutionary responsibility in order to fulfill the high level of faith and trust reposed in us by the people.”
Understand the severity of the Naga situation: GPRN/NSCN Chairman
Meanwhile, in Naga Unification Camp, Khehoyi, while celebrating the 44th NSCN Raising Day, GPRN/NSCN Chairman Neokpao Konyak’s message was read by Chief Secretary, Kideon V Zhimomi who accused the political leadership of India for failing to perform its political task on the Naga issue.
He maintained that the political leadership of India has diverted its attention to electioneering and party politics in order to conduct elections in Nagaland.
Konyak also hoped that the Naga people “will be able to differentiate between a democratic activity called periodic election and a negotiated political solution between two entities to end the political conflict.”
“Nagas preparing to contest in the Indian election representing different political parties have to understand the severity of the Naga situation,” he said.
Konyak said that it was ‘unfair’ that India is conducting elections in Nagaland and said that Nagas are “patient practitioners of ancient democratic values,” and therefore, abstaining from “democratic exercise too is a democratic right since the Indian leadership failed to perform its political task on the Naga issue.”
The ‘democratic exercise’ every five years has blurred the Naga vision and the hunger for five-year power is threatening to destroy the future of Naga generations, Konyak noted.
Konyak also recalled how the 1975 Shillong Accord shook the pillars of Naga nationhood amid “communication gap and ideological differences among the leadership of the day” and said that reconciliation was impossible because “hatred and mistrust had overtaken the sense of belonging and oneness among the Naga leaders.”
Konyak shared that on January 31, 1980 “a fresh initiative was undertaken with the formation of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)” and Naga rights and pride were restored but, “on the other side, disastrous division among the Nagas and consequent factional killings has left thousands of widows and orphans.”
He claimed that “this day restored the Naga rights but this did not stop the mistrust within.”
“The Government of India (GoI) has taken maximum advantage and continues to exert and expand neo-colonialism in Naga homeland,” he stated.
However, at present, Konyak stated that the Naga people can proudly assert that there is a clear political stance in the Agreed Position signed between the Working Committee (WC) and Government of India on November 17, 2017, which says that the latter recognizes “historical and political right of the Nagas to self-determine their future in consonant with their distinct history and identity.”
“This clear political statement and understanding set the tone for a political negotiation between the Working Committee of NNPGs and GoI interlocutor.”
He also expressed gratitude to the Naga tribes, churches, village headmen and all concerned civil societies for the unwavering co-operation in the search for “honorable and acceptable political solution to the Indo-Naga conflict.”