No documentary evidence supporting conclusion of talks on October 31, 2019, claims NSCN (IM)

Dimapur, July 19 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has said that there was no documentary evidence appended by the Government of India (GoI) representative and the Naga political groups that talks had been concluded on October 31, 2019.

Had the talks been concluded, “a joint statement should have been the norm and not unilateral statement by RN Ravi,” the NSCN (IM) Ministry of Information and Publicity stated in a press release on Monday.

“Ravi may have concluded the talks with NNPGs. But that is not the story with NSCN,” it added.

The NSCN (IM) went on to state that Ravi, the former Interlocutor for the Naga Peace Talks, had “miserably failed to work out the competency as per the principle of the Framework Agreement (FA).”

“The last paragraph of FA stated ‘the two sides agreed that within this framework agreement details and execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly’. But sadly, Ravi never picked up the follow up action on competency,” it said.

The MIP further stated that formal talks were also held after October 31, 2019, the first on November 9, 2019 and again on January 30, 2020.

“Officially the FA signed on the 3rd August, 2015 had resolved the principle issues and therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had made known to the world that he had solved the longest insurgency movement in Southeast Asia.

“Accordingly we find in the 3rd paragraph ‘It is a matter of great satisfaction that dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN has successfully concluded and we are confident it will provide for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities.’

“The sore point is the non-action on competency,” it contended.

The NSCN (IM) stated that it found no fault with Prime Minister N Modi taking 'extra pride' for solving the Naga political issue.

“But the non-action plan on competency had made the FA a nonstarter. This is the crux of the delay in Naga political solution,” it asserted.

Meanwhile, it also said that the members of the Parliamentary Committee on the Naga Political Issue (PCoNPI) “should exercise intuition to tell them that something is amiss about the October 31, 2019” as there is no documentary evidence about the talks being officially concluded.

“We also need to follow political maturity and pragmatism and go by our established respect to find the Naga political solution,” it added.