'The 2015 Framework Agreement has become a farce now': NSCN-IM on ending Naga conflict

Guwahati: Weeks after demanding a third-party intervention to end the decades-old Naga conflict, Naga insurgent group in ceasefire, NSCN-IM on Monday said the Framework Agreement signed in 2015 between Narendra Modi government and the outfit has become a farce now as the Centre created an "alibi" using Naga national flag and constitution as the issues.

"The Framework Agreement, which is a political agreement between two entities (two nations) provides no scope for making an issue out of non-negotiable flag and constitution. But India brought forth these two issues to heckle NSCN leaders," NSCN-IM said in the editorial of its mouthpiece, Nagalim Voice.

The outfit said the NSCN-IM negotiators led by "Ato Kilonser" (Prime Minister), Thuingaleng Muivah told the government negotiators that the Naga flag and constitution are sacrosanct to the Nagas. "The NSCN shall stand defending to the last man standing," it further said, making it clear that the outfit is firm on its demand for recognition of its flag and constitution for finding a solution to the 76-year-old conflict.

The statement came weeks after NSCN-IM chief negotiator Muivah accused the Centre of betraying the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement. This, according to observers, also indicated that the Centre failed to break the deadlock over the flag and constitution issue since the outfit on November 8 threatened to resume "armed resistance" if its demand for third party intervention was rejected.

Naga conflict:

Many Naga groups including the NSCN-IM claims that Nagas were never part of India and were made part of India without taking consent of the Nagas. This led the Naga groups to declare "independence" on August 14, 1947, which followed a long armed conflict between the security forces and Naga armed groups, mainly the NSCN. The NSCN-IM, however, have been in ceasefire since 1997 and its cadres and leaders including Muivah are lodged in their "designated camp" at Hebron near Dimapur. They have been celebrating "Naga Independence Day" on August 14 every year.

After years of talks, the Centre and the NSCN-IM signed the "Framework Agreement" on August 3, 2015 in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM called it a landmark development and claimed that the decades-old Naga insurgency was resolved with the signing of the agreement. The Framework Agreement was to be the basis for finding a final agreement to end the country's longest armed conflict.

But conflicting claims that followed over the Framework Agreement made the path to the final solution murkier. The NSCN-IM claimed that the Centre agreed to recognise the "unique history" of the Nagas and the concept of "shared sovereignty" but officials representing the Centre rejected such claims saying the outfit misinterpreted the 2015 agreement. The NSCN-IM demanded that the Naga flag and Constitution be recognised in order to reach a respectable political solution to the conflict. But the Centre rejected such a demand.