The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) has raised concerns over the recent actions of 21 Rajya Sabha MPs regarding the Naga peace process, questioning their wisdom in escalating the matter before Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
While acknowledging the MPs’ support, the Working Committee stated, “Working Committee appreciate the concern of 21 MPs for voicing out their moral support through their letter to Shri Amit Shah, Hon’ble Home Minister of India for the Naga people anticipating for early solution.” However, the Committee expressed discontent with their emphasis solely on the Framework Agreement, stating that such an approach reflects “a total ignorance of the ground reality.”
The NNPGs highlighted that there are two agreements—the Agreed Position signed between the Government of India and the Working Committee, NNPGs on November 17, 2017, and the Framework Agreement between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015—both aimed at resolving the Indo-Naga conflict. The Committee criticized the MPs for “overlooking the hard-earned agreement called the ‘Agreed Position,’” stating that this omission “contradicts the agreements rather than coming to an acceptable conclusion.”
Expressing its disapproval, the Working Committee urged the MPs to consider the broader picture, asserting, “Simply demanding a new interlocutor without knowing the detailed ground reality is nothing but to delay the solution when talks have been thoroughly discussed and mutually completed on 31st Oct. 2019.” The Committee reminded the MPs that “Nagas are anticipating for early solution.”
The NNPGs further cited the statement made by the Governor of Nagaland in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on January 17, 2020, where he confirmed that negotiations between the Government of India and the Naga National Political Groups had “been successfully concluded on 31st October 2019.” Additionally, the Committee noted that under the convenorship of P Chidambaram, the Parliamentary Standing Committee had submitted the Naga Peace Accord to the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on July 19, 2018. The report stated that “the government of India reached an understanding with the NSCN-IM, which agreed for a settlement within the Indian federation, with a special status,” marking a shift from their previous stance of “with India, not within India.”
Given these developments, the NNPGs argued that “the question of a new interlocutor does not arise unless there is any new agenda to be included in the agreement.”
The Working Committee made an appeal to the MPs, stating, “The Signatories of the Agreed Position fervently appeal before the 21 MPs to carry forward their valuable support in honoring both the agreements for achieving a peaceful, honorable, acceptable inclusive solution.”