Congress to oppose Naga peace agreement if it changes geography of NE states: Jairam Ramesh

IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 4 (PTI): Slamming the Centre over alleged lack of transparency in the ongoing Naga peace talks, Congress leader and former union minister Jairam Ramesh has said that the Congress will oppose any agreement, if it changes the geography of Manipur and any other northeastern state.

Ramesh was part of a six-member Congress delegation who arrived in Manipur to take stock of the situation after the peace talks. Ramesh was accompanied by All India Congress Committee General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Union minister of State Jitendra Singh, MP Manickam Tagore, AICC Secretary Ranjit Mukherjee and Mohammed Ali Khan. The delegation was set up by interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi to study the problems of northeastern states arising out of the Naga Peace Accord, Citizenship Amendment Bill and the National Register of Citizens.

He also criticised the Centre for the alleged lack of transparency in the signing of the Naga peace accord. "There is no transparency regarding Naga peace talks on the part of the central government. The progress in the ongoing Naga peace talks has not been disclosed," Ramesh told reporters at the Congress Bhawan here.

Any accord which would change the geography of any state of the northeast region, including Manipur, will be opposed by the Congress, he said.

During the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Centre had signed Assam, Mizoram and Tripura accords "without changing the geography of any state", the senior Congress leader said. 

He said the contents of Indo-Naga Framework Agreement signed in August 2015 between the government of India and Naga groups remained a “complete secret”. “Even the then home minister Rajnath Singh and chief ministers of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are not aware about it,” Ramesh claimed.

Last week, the Union Home Ministry had said that lot of rumours and misinformation was being spread that the final Naga settlement had been arrived at and would be announced soon.

"This is creating anxiety and concern in some parts of the country. It is clarified that before any settlement is arrived at with Naga groups, all stakeholders including states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh will be duly consulted and their concerns will be taken into consideration. No credence needs to be given to such rumours and incorrect information," the MHA statement had said.

Former Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh said "People in Manipur are confused whether the demand for greater Nagaland has been accepted or not. If it is accepted by the present government, the party will oppose it tooth and nail."