Former Nagaland assembly Speaker Z Lohe has hit the nail .... as he claimed that businesses face up to 20 different types of taxes from various armed groups.
“Nagaland cannot continue to be an ATM for all the Nagas from everywhere else,” Lohe said, while stating that a political solution is the only “medicine” to end the harassment.
 |
| S C Jamir and other CNFN leaders |
Addressing a press conference at Dimapur, former CM, S C Jamir said that the prolonged delay has led to “terrible confusion” and a situation where no single group can be held solely responsible.
“We are embroiled in a terrible mess, terrible confusion... Time has come to tell the truth to the people and to the government of India,” Jamir said.
Comprising mostly of former state legislators and retired bureaucrats, a number of senior citizens converged on the argument that the political dialogue between the Government of India and the Naga Political Groups (NPG) officially ended in 2019.
Former Chief Minister and veteran leader S C Jamir said that the 2015 Framework Agreement with the NSCN (IM) and the 2017 Agreed Position with the WC, NNPGs were arrived within the parameters of the Indian Constitution.
According to him, the two agreements do not include sovereignty and geographical integration.
Former Minister and ex Congress chief of Nagaland state unit K Therie, retired IAS bureaucrats K K Sema, H K Khulu and Alemtemshi Jamir are some of the prominent figures in the newly floated Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN).
H K Khulu, Convener of the Core Committee of CNFN maintained that the newly floated body is neither an NGO nor a political body but simply a group of concerned elders.
Khulu questioned recent moves by the state government’s Political Affairs Committee to resume talks. “When negotiations were closed, as announced in the Assembly, how is it that there is an appeal for political-level negotiations? Does it mean that we are going to again start negotiations?” he asked.
“Whatever they have agreed naturally, it has to be within the Constitution of India.
No Prime Minister, however popular or powerful he might be, can go against the Constitution of India,” he said, while urging the Government of India to maintain the “sanctity” of the two Agreements and thereby bring an early Solution.
The Naga peace parleys began in 1997 when the NSCN-IM entered into ceasefire while I K Gujral was the Prime Minister and in Nagaland S C Jamir was heading the state government. The incumbent chief minister Neiphiu Rio was also in the cabinet.
In 2015; the Modi government inked a Framework Agreement in Delhi on Aug 3rd. But the final Solution pact is yet to be inked. In 2019, the Govt of India and NSCN-IM came near signing of the pact when the militant group demanded a separate Naga flag and a separate Constitution.
The Govt of India has categorically rejected the demand.
In 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament that there was no scope for a second constitution or two flags in India. He was talking in the context of Jammu and Kashmir but the same logic would apply to other states/provinces too.
In October 2025, the central government's peace machinations suffered a setback when NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah visited his native village Somdal in Manipur and made some controversial and anti-Govt of India remarks.
Muivah had planned to visit his native village Somdal in 2010 but the Meiteis had then opposed it saying such separatist leaders were not welcome. However, in October 2025 due to his growing age and failing health and the Modi Govt working backdoors; - there were no objections to Muivah's visit either from Meiteis or Kukis.
Notably, the Kukis and Meiteis have been in conflict in Manipur since 2023 and since last few months, the Nagas and the Kukis have yet started clashing in certain pockets. The Meiteis and Nagas have clashed in 2001.
Analysts say Muivah's speech on Oct 22nd (2025) has left the centre irked and people aggrieved.
Worse, it was seen as a setback to Team Modi's persuasion skills.
Mandarins in Delhi say if the NSCN-IM was not in the negotiation process -- perhaps Muivah's speech was okay or even considered perfect. But as it came from a group and its leader - who is in peace parleys for 28 years and over 100 rounds of talks held; it was 'undiplomatic' and more than just harsh and so unexpected.
The Status Quo club in Kohima with political backing has been working overtime to delay signing of the final peace pact. In the meantime the extortion continues unabated and hence the forum such as CNFN has found a relevance of its own.
Retired civil servant K K Sema said that it is contradictory for any group to claim “shared sovereignty” while simultaneously negotiating for increased seat representation in the Indian Parliament.
He demanded that the negotiating parties be honest with the stakeholders about the actual contents of the agreement.
“We are not against NSCN (IM) per se. But I’m against the policies of non-transparency and their inability to speak the truth and talk to the people honestly," he said.
Former Minister and ex Congress chief, K Therie sought to caution: “If the Nagaland State Assembly does not want or is against the solution, then the people have to move forward to tell the Government of India: we have an anti-people government in the state".
 |
| New Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav with PM Modi |
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment