The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) has ruled out any progress in the Naga peace process without the issue of integration of Naga-inhabited areas being factored in.
The outfit also criticised Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for allegedly saying — after a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi last month — that integration of all Naga-inhabited areas around Nagaland is impossible.
Mr. Rio had, however, clarified that he had touched upon what was conveyed to the Nagaland government delegation at the meeting. “The delegation was told that since integration would involve the neighbouring States where Nagas are settled, it would not be possible unless it is mutually agreed to by Nagaland’s neighbours,” a State government spokesperson said.
‘Arbitrary separation’
“The issue of integration of all the Naga territories is an integral part of the ongoing dialogue. Naga territories have been kept apart arbitrarily and indiscriminately by the British in the first place and then further divided between Burma, now Myanmar, and India under [former Prime Minister Jawaharlal] Nehru without the consent of the Naga people, which is totally unacceptable ... Talks sans integration of all the contiguous Naga areas will be a futile exercise,” the NSCN-IM’s publicity wing said in a statement on Sunday.
The outfit said the Framework Agreement with New Delhi on August 3, 2015 was signed in recognition of Nagas’ history and situation as unique.
Legitimate right
“Both parties agreed that integration of all the contiguous Naga areas was the legitimate right of the Naga people,” it said. “Now, after 21 years of negotiations, India and Naga people are prepared to finalise the political dialogue to its logical conclusion and resolve the oldest political problem in the entire Southeast Asia. At this crucial juncture, any attempt to undermine or disturb the peace process... shall no longer be tolerated.”