DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 5 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) made public on Monday, a letter written by Ato Kilonser, Th Muivah to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. As per a press release from its Ministry of Information and Publicity, the letter was written on February 25, 2020.
It said that the letter was initially withheld on the belief that the Prime Minister will respond. However, it added that it was compelled to release the letter on account of alleged “lack of response from the office of the Indian Prime Minister” after 7 months of waiting.
The over 2000-word letter began with, “We are writing this letter to you because after 22 years of political dialogue between the Gol and the NSCN, a serious deadlock has emerged on the issue of the Naga National Flag and Constitution.”
It outlined significant events that occurred in the lead up to the ceasefire in 1997, the mutually agreed basis for the subsequent peace talks and the NSCN (IM)’s push for solution with the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 as guiding principle.
It reiterated the NSCN (IM)’s stand as far as the scope of the Indo-Naga talks is concerned and the Government of India (GoI) recognizing the often quoted "Unique history and situation" of the Nagas. It also reminded that the FA “acknowledged the intricacies of the Indian system and in consonance with contemporary realities” and calling off violent confrontation for peace and progress through sharing of sovereign powers “as defined in the competencies.”
Muivah, in the letter, held that the demand for separate flag and constitution is without ambiguity as mentioned in the NSCN (IM)’s proposal that “Nagaland shall use its National Flag, Anthem, Emblem and Insignia” and Yehzabo (constitution) “covering the areas of its own competencies.” While maintaining that the proposal does not deviate from the FA, it said, “The mutually agreed competencies and the recognition of the two core issues are based on the FA, therefore, it does not undermine the security or integrity of India. It is, therefore, imperative that the principle of FA must be taken to its logical conclusion through the recognition of the Naga National Flag and Constitution.
It added that other important issues are resolved, with only the Naga Flag and Constitution being the remaining contention.
MHA & Interlocutor
The letter further sought the PM’s attention to what was termed as “serious concern regarding the activities” of the Ministry of Home Affairs, including its agencies and the GoI representative/interlocutor to the talks, RN Ravi, who is also the Governor of Nagaland state.
It alleged that the MHA and its agencies have resorted to branding NSCN (IM) members as “terrorists.” While terming it as “deliberate and calculated policies of the Gol” to downgrade the political dialogue to the level of an internal law and order issue, the letter said, “(It is) unjustifiable and a serious provocation” against the principle of the political negotiation.
The incumbent interlocutor RN Ravi also came under criticism, the letter accusing him of deviating from his role as “the Representative of the Gol for the Indo-Naga peace talks.”
It accused the interlocutor of segregating the Naga civil society, favouring the WC, NNPGs and “meeting only a certain section of the Naga society…” while excluding the “Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights and Naga Student's Federation.”
On the other hand, it said the NSCN (IM) had “exercised much restraint against the systematic ultimatum issued by the Representative of the Gol since July, 2019, which was repeated again during the talks on 31st October, 2019.”
It further accused Ravi of being disrespectful to the “Naga talk team” during an official meet on January 30, this year, in Dimapur. It quoted Ravi as refusing to take cognizance of a “draft proposal” averred to have been submitted on January 18 and, allegedly, maintaining that the next meeting would be held, only after the NSCN (IM) “submits its draft proposal” as told.
While terming it as “unacceptable,” it called for an official clarification from the Gol. It also expressed displeasure at the MHA questioning the presence of NSCN (IM) members in Dimapur earlier in February.
Demands talks at PM level
Muivah's letter concluded with a demand for resuming the talks at the Prime Ministerial level. “We have come to India on the invitation of the Gol and we are in Nagaland to meet our own Naga people vis-a-vis the peace process,” it said, while expressing concern on the aforementioned “state of affairs.” Given the circumstance “and in order to save the political dialogue, the talks should resume at the Highest, i.e. Prime Minister Level; Without Pre-Condition; and Outside India in a Third Country,” it said.
