Rebel group NSCN-IM flags 2015 'Framework Agreement' to end 76-year-old Naga conflict

Naga insurgent group in ceasefire - NSCN-IM - on Monday said the "Framework Agreement" Narendra Modi government signed with it in August 2015 is the "foundation of recognition of the unique history and sovereignty of the Nagas, and co-existence of the two entities."

The outfit said this while stressing that the Centre must take the stand based on the "Framework Agreement" in order to solve the 76-year-old Naga "political conflict." 

"This is a mutually agreed official document. This Framework Agreement is our legacy. On the issue of integration of all Naga areas, the Government of India has officially acknowledged that it is the legitimate right of the Nagas. Therefore, it shall be finalised accordingly. The flag and constitution are naturally inseparable from the sovereignty of people. It is a universally accepted truth that the flag and constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty. There is no ambiguity about it. They must take the stand to speak the truth," NSCN-IM general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah said in his speech during "celebration of the Naga Independence Day" on Monday.

Muivah hoisted the "Naga national flag" having a star of Bethlehem and a red-yellow-green rainbow on an azure background before addressing other NSCN-IM leaders and cadres at camp Hebron, a designated camp situated on the outskirts of Dimapur. 

Naga groups, including NSCN-IM, claim that Nagas were never a part of India and they had even declared independence on August 14, 1947.

Naga groups have been observing "Naga Independence Day" since then by hoisting their flag. "The heart of the matter is that the Nagas are a sovereign people, who have been living in their own land from time immemorial," Muivah said.

The NSCN-IM had led the insurgent movement for decades before entering into a ceasefire in 1997. The Centre and NSCN-IM leaders (including Muivah) had sighed the "Framework Agreement" in New Delhi on August 3, 2015 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A final agreement was to be signed based on the "Framework Agreement" but the same has remained elusive mainly due to NSCN-IM's insistence on "integration" of all Naga inhabited areas (Nagaland and parts of Manipur and Assam) and a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. 

The Centre rejected the offer but agreed to allow the Naga groups to use their flag during cultural events only. Manipur and Assam had also opposed the NSCN-IM's demand. The Centre, however, has not yet made the contents of the "Framework Agreement" public.