Thepfulhouvi Solo,
IFS Retd (RR-68)
What the media savvy FNR for 20 years could not achieve with much Prayers in the Streets, in the open Fields, from the Soccer Matches and with help from Atlanta American Baptists; the NTC has quietly done it in just under a few months to bring 6 of the 8 NNPGs into one ‘Working Committee’.
The Indo-Naga Political TALK, to be truly ‘Inclusive’ of all Stakeholders, must have the two ‘Heavy Weights’, NNC-Adinno and NSCN-IM in a Single ‘Negotiating Table’. NSCN-IM is already in the Talk separately with the GoI. The NNC-Adinno has not joined the Talk and likely may not join any negotiation with Pre-Conditions.
This is a serious point. Of all the Rights for a people wanting to be free from outside control, the Peaceful democratic expression like the World saw in Catalonia Referendum of Spain a week ago is very important. The Catalonians did for the first time in 2017 of their entire over one century of political History, a Referendum the other week.
The primitive Naga did their democratic Plebiscite peaceably some 66 years ago in the year 1951, it is the capstone of their national Stand and they would not like to abandon it. People may ignore a Minor Party in a Government formation, but Politics cannot ignore an Institution of a Society big or small. The Naga has nurtured the NNC into an Institution rather than into a Political Party. NNC is an Institution like Putu Menden or the Morung System of the People.
The IM started their Indo-IM Talk with what they said was “without preconditions” but over the period of 20 years Talk, they now have slid down the level “after understanding each other’s difficulties” with the GoI!
The formation of a single ‘Working Committee’ of the six ‘Light Heavy Weight’ NNPGs is a significant achievement of the NTC. Now, Nagaland Government, and the casual Public and the Local Media would take notice of the NTC since it appears to have gained some confidence of the Prime Minister of India.
Another important collateral development of the Talk is what Ravi said he has nudged the Talk from the MHA to the PMO. This is a very positive indication of the GoI appearing seriously involved in the TALK; it has shortened the communication space between the Parties.
Modi may not carry as much clout and obedience as Jawaharlal Nehru had on the Indian Parliament, still Modi has a great clout on the Bharat population and a very comfortable majority of MPs in the Lok Sabha with Tikka in their forehead than those without!
There is an important Morality revelation in the highest echelon of the Government of India today that India is becoming a growing World Power to reckon with and has now begun to feel embarrassed at its inability to settle the ‘Naga Problem’ for the last so many decades. India has a great Moral responsibility to settle the Naga Issue democratically in Peace without joust of Arms. The way a great Nation treats a small people indicates the level of moral standard it has attained.
India has to recognize the ‘Naga Problem’ deeply. Unlike Kashmir, the Naga Case is not of Secession. The Naga Case is a Statement of the democratic Right of a simple People in a remote unknown fringe of the Country; even the colonial Power in India did not know them clearly belong to the Country. Jawaharlal Nehru acknowledged this in his statement to the Indian Parliament at the Passing of the Nagaland Act in 1962.
The Nagaland opposes outside interference of their land since 1882, first with Spears and Daohs, then in 1929 for the first time turned their Daohs and Spears into Ploughshares and started using the Pencil and Pen for their political Movement.
The Naga then took the cue of INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS’S fight for Freedom from the colonial Power, and instituted NAGA NATIONAL COUNCIL in 1946. The NNC entered into a 9-Point Agreement India did not follow through after giving Signed statements to the adherence of the Agreement.
The NNC refused participation in the Constituent Assembly, declared itself outside Indian Union on 14 August 1947, organized peaceful democratic Plebiscite in 1951 for a separate life, refused participation of Independent India’s First and Second General Election in 1952 and 1957.
The GoI then amalgamated of Naga Areas of Naga Hills District with Tuensang Area of Northeast Frontier Agency into a single Administrative Unit of NHTA. In 1963 India formally made NHTA a State of Nagaland with uncommon special Constitutional Safeguard for the State of Nagaland not extended to other Naga.
The Naga are only a small minority of Arunachal Pradesh, in Assam they constitute a minute population, in Manipur the Naga is a small Minority in the midst of a Minority Tribal.
The indigenous Naga in Nagaland completely dominate the whole population of Nagaland State. They own all the land in the State, -not the Government nor any autonomous Body. How can the People of another State decide the Political matters of Nagaland State? That would be a complete negation of the universal Democratic principle of the World.
India often appears does not know how to solve the Naga Problem. It is completely undemocratic for India to allow the People of another State to decide the future of Nagaland State.
Let Government of India give whatever Rehabilitation it decides to the IM Cadres. Nagaland has nothing to say if the GoI gives a Regiment to the IM but Nagaland will not accept outside interference in the Politics of Nagaland.
The NSCN rejected NNC and formed a separate New Organization in 1980, and carried on Armed Struggle for the Sovereignty of the Naga Inhabited Area of the Northeast States.
India entered into a Ceasefire with the NSCN in 1997 not on democratic principle but on the strength of Fire-Power the IM possessed, and started a political Talk only with them. Since then they have now entered into a 3rd August 2015 Accord and are continuing it in Secret TALK.
With pressure from the Nagaland Public and with arrangement from the NTC, the six Splinter Groups –4 of NNC, 2 of NSCN- congregated in a Working Committee for the solution of the Naga Problem with the GoI, under the latter’s program of ‘Inclusiveness of all Stakeholders’ for the Final honorable Solution of the Naga Political Issue.
1. The Participants need to concoct strong Solutions to remove umpteen numbers of obstacles on the Way. 2. How to resolve and amalgamate the Joint-Separate-Inclusive Talk NNC-Adinno has declined to join a pre-conditioned negotiation?
