Centre agreed on shared sovereignty: NSCN (IM)

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) on Wednesday said that the "framework agreement" it signed with the Modi government in 2015, agreed to share "sovereign power" and a final solution to the Indo-Naga conflict could be worked out if the Centre did not go back on its commitment.

"The Nagas do not accept the Constitution of India, but Nagas and Indians will share sovereign powers on the basis of the Framework Agreement. We have been looking for a lasting honorable solution that will guarantee the rights of Nagas and security of India. Facing many hurdles and difficulties in the talks, we finally signed the historic 'Framework Agreement’ and accordingly, we are working on for a final touch. We hope and trust that the final solution can be worked out soon, provided that the government of India does not go back on its commitment. The ball is in the court of India," the Naga outfit said in a statement emailed to DH.

The statement issued by Rh. Raising, convener of the Steering Committee of NSCN-IM, talked about the step-wise progress in the Indo-Naga peace talks, which began with the signing of the Paris Agreement in June 1995.

The NSCN-IM has been in ceasefire with the Centre since 1997.

Although the framework agreement was signed in August 2015, its details were not officially shared earlier.

"Government of India recognizes the sovereignty of the Nagas stating, 'Sovereignty of the Nagas lies with the Naga people.' By unique history of the Nagas, it also means – Naga identity, culture and territory are also unique. Naga territories have never been ceded to any power. Nagas are the owners of their land and mineral resources above and beneath the land, it says. The Agreement further says, 'Co-existence of the two entities.' The Nagas have not been a part of the Union of India by consent, but they will ‘co-exist with the Union of India as two entities’, it means. The two entities will be inseparably bound together by the cord of the Framework," said the NSCN-IM statement.

The NSCN-IM celebrated "Naga Independence Day" on Wednesday by hoisting the "Naga National Flag" in its camp situated at Hebron near Dimapur.

For the first time, Naga Students' Federation, an influential students' body, hoisted the Naga National Flag in Kohima and celebrated the Naga Independence Day.

The students' body said that it decided to celebrate the day for the first time to assert the unique Naga identity and that it carried no political message.

But the decision raised many eyebrows in view of scrapping of Article 370 that provided special power to Jammu and Kashmir. Many in Nagaland fear that Modi government could do the same and withdraw Article 371 (A), under which Nagaland also enjoys special protection and power.

Nagaland Governor R N Ravi, who is a former deputy national security advisor, in a statement before the Independence Day said that Nagaland must create a congenial atmosphere, free from fear of gun and multiple taxation to unleash the creative genius and entrepreneurial potential of the youth.

"Today, Nagaland is at the cusp of history. A new dawn of peace and prosperity is beaconing Nagaland. Friends, we must not miss this historic opportunity," it said.

Ravi is also the interlocutor of Indo-Naga peace talks.