Dimapur, August 11 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) on August 11 denied adopting a ‘procrastination attitude’ and claimed that the Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga political Talks and Nagaland Governor RN Ravi refused to accept the competency submitted by its negotiating team.
Citing the meeting on January 30, 2020 in Chümoukedima, the NSCN (IM) said that the Interlocutor had refused to accept the Competency submitted by its negotiating team.
“There would not be any further talk if we do not rewrite and submit the competency,” the NSCN (IM) said in a press release from its MIP, quoting the Interlocutor.
In this context, the NSCN (IM) further clarified that it never adopted a ‘procrastinating attitude’ as repeatedly claimed by the Interlocutor.
“What matters is the contentious issues that has to be sorted out with mutual respect and understanding. Taking unilateral decision on the timeline is never a part of the negotiation that has travailed more than 23 years. Sanctity of the talk must never be sidelined,” it asserted.
'Deviation from the peace process'
Accusing the Interlocutor of deviating from the peace process, the NSCN (IM) said that while harping on ‘one issue, one solution’, the Interlocutor “signed separate agreement with NNPGs and later used this group to counterweigh the NSCN”.
It also recalled earlier statement by the Interlocutor to the NSCN negotiating team that he would not have any parallel talks with NNPGs other than to brief them on the core issues discussed and agreed between GoI and NSCN.
Now the pertinent question is, what the Interlocutor is going to do with the ‘Agreed Position’ he signed with NNPGs,” the NSCN (IM) wondered.
The NSCN (IM) also claimed that him of resorting to ‘fear psychosis’ to pressurise the NSCN to submission by organising military exercises over Naga areas, deploying heavy security forces, directing all Nagaland state security forces to be in their respective stations with rations stock to last for at least two months and directing all state police Special Branch to identify and locate the NSCN members’ residents.
It further said that the Interlocutor refused to work with Naga apex civil societies like the Naga Hoho, NSF, NMA, NPMHR, etc., and claimed that he only entertained a few groups and selected individuals.
Further highlighting the Interlocutor’s ‘recklessness’, the NSCN (IM) said that Ravi had met the 14 tribes of Nagaland on October 18, 2019 where “he told them that Naga integration is ruled out.”
Such misleading statement on Naga integration created confusion on Pan Naga Hoho, the NSCN (IM) said, adding that some tribes refused to support Pan Naga Hoho without Naga integration.
Raising questions on the Interlocutor’s credibility, the NSCN (IM) stated that “It was against this background that Ravi has set the bridge on fire and the meeting point is something unthinkable.”
Taking exception to the use of terms like “armed gangs” and “underground groups,” the NSCN (IM) stated that “the sanctity of Naga political legitimacy comes under assault’ when the Interlocutor used such terms “against the very groups he has been talking to for years.”
In this connection, while expressing gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who guided and supervised the signing of the historic Framework Agreement, the NSCN (IM) maintained that the “very doings of his representative Ravi has cast a huge trust deficit” and termed the Interlocutor’s role as “nothing short of disowning the Framework Agreement.”
