The Isak-Muivah-led NSCN-IM faction has come out with a bold warning to the Indian government nearly twenty-seven years after committing itself to a ceasefire. Recently, the group issued a statement stating that if the 2015 Framework Agreement, which is aimed at addressing the Naga political problem, is not adhered to then it would revive its armed struggle.
General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, in a five-page declaration, accused the government of betraying the agreement’s “letter and spirit.” He declared peaceful solutions were no longer viable, hinting at a potential return to violence. This follows a series of discussions in October between NSCN-IM leaders, excluding the 90-year-old Muivah, and the Centre’s interlocutor, A.K. Mishra.
General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah calls Indian government to finalize Naga record within 1 year
Parallel negotiations with the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), an alliance of seven organizations outside the NSCN-IM framework, add yet another layer of complexity. The NNPGs had signed a separate “Agreed Position” with the Centre in 2017 and recently called upon the government to finalize a Naga accord within the year.
The main demand in the talks was for a separate Naga flag and constitution. Restating this, Muivah floated the idea of a last-minute “third-party intervention” to facilitate the dispute. He warned that if the mediation failed, the group would “resume violent armed resistance” in defence of Nagalim’s sovereignty.
Sources indicate that the proposed mediator may be an international entity, meaning the NSCN-IM is willing to have foreign players in the negotiations and that this deadlock might be ready to be resolved at all costs. Muivah reiterated again that the Framework Agreement had acknowledged that the Naga were a distinct identity and therefore entitled to a sovereign flag and constitution.
The framework agreement signed in 2015 has not brought a holistic solution to the standoff. Parallel negotiations by the government have only intensified the stalemate. The situation continues to pose the danger of violent relapse while the impasse on Naga sovereignty persists.
Also, see: Canada ends SDS visa for international students: What does it mean for India?