Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) while stating that nothing short of inclusive talk could bring about lasting political settlement said the agenda has been kept secret from the people of Nagaland “from the beginning of the dialogue between GoI and NSCN (IM) till they arrived at an ‘accord’ or re-coined as ‘frame work’ or ‘preamble’ on August 3, 2015.”
In a press release, NTC president Lendinoktang Ao and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie said following the telecast of the arrival of agreement, a few sections of Naga society started welcoming the accord including Nagaland chief minister giving a ‘clarion call’ to people to support it.
NTC said when not an iota of the content agreement was known to the public of Nagaland, the question of welcoming or rejection of such agreement did not arise. It added that acceptance or rejection of the agreement would solely depend on the merits and demerits of the contents of agreement.
Further, NTC asserted that it could never endorse a blank cheque nor could it accept any clause when found detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people of Nagaland.
However, appreciating the “bold and decisive action’ of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in bringing the Accord attempting to bring a political solution, the NTC urged the Prime Minister to initiate similar approaches and sign accords with all other major NPGs to bring honourable and permanent settlement by taking everyone on board.
Although the “detail contents of the agenda” were kept as confidential from the Nagas of Nagaland, NTC said the two most major issues -- sovereignty and integration -- were obviously left to be non-issues as per media report.
NTC said it was therefore “imperative” that anything that was agreed upon would be well within the ambit of Indian Constitution, and nothing above the status of Statehood whatever may be the interpretation.
Maintaining that it was also critical of the consultative meeting convened by NLA speaker, who is the Chairman of Nagaland Legislature Forum, on July 31, 2015 at Jotsoma, NTC said a major indigenous tribe from Nagaland was not invited.
Besides, NTC said other NPGs, which were not adverse to peaceful and lasting solution, were not taken into confidence, adding that the principle of inclusiveness was indispensable and major ingredient for lasting peace.
Whatever may be the attitude of the people in power, the NTC said it would steadfastly continue to represent the citizens of the state and project their aspirations at all levels.
NTC said it was apprehensive that the government of the day may have tendency to please others at the cost of its people and their land for selfish political games.
“Today, people talk about ‘broader autonomy’ and NTC questions when the lands in foothills which belongs to the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland is to be sacrificed in the guise of NSDZs or to be mortgaged for the so-called broader autonomy or better status is unacceptable – such autonomy or status at the expense of our limited valuable land will be a complete defeat of the purpose,” the release stated.
Therefore, NTC said such “malicious autonomy or status” was never the aspiration of the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland.
While maintaining it always stood for territorial integration of all contiguous Naga areas into one, NTC, however, said when there was no territorial integration, the ground reality of the status quo of Nagas living in different states has to be accepted till such time territorial integration took place in future.
Without territorial integration, NTC said it did not accept “mere population integration” in the manner of giving tribal status to Rongmeis in Nagaland whatever may be charted out as its mechanism.
Also, NTC said accommodation of Nagas from other states in the “tiny and unexpanding” state of Nagaland was indeed detrimental to the interest of indigenous Nagas of Nagaland except that “we continue to have fraternal brotherhood and peaceful coexistence amongst the Nagas wherever the Nagas are.”
While neighbouring states of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal were apprehensive of infringement on territorial integrity of each of them by the Accord, NTC said Nagas of Nagaland cannot be complacent as though “our inherent rights would not be infringed too by the same accord unless the contents are tabled in the public domain for wider consultation and accrue consensus thereof prior to finalization.”
NTC has therefore urged upon the government of Nagaland not to be swayed by emotion and selfish interest while handling the role of facilitator. It cautioned the government to beware of “transforming the hard earned State of Nagaland into nobody’s land but everybody’s State.”
Source: Nagalandpost (13 Aug. 2015)
In a press release, NTC president Lendinoktang Ao and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie said following the telecast of the arrival of agreement, a few sections of Naga society started welcoming the accord including Nagaland chief minister giving a ‘clarion call’ to people to support it.
NTC said when not an iota of the content agreement was known to the public of Nagaland, the question of welcoming or rejection of such agreement did not arise. It added that acceptance or rejection of the agreement would solely depend on the merits and demerits of the contents of agreement.
Further, NTC asserted that it could never endorse a blank cheque nor could it accept any clause when found detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people of Nagaland.
However, appreciating the “bold and decisive action’ of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in bringing the Accord attempting to bring a political solution, the NTC urged the Prime Minister to initiate similar approaches and sign accords with all other major NPGs to bring honourable and permanent settlement by taking everyone on board.
Although the “detail contents of the agenda” were kept as confidential from the Nagas of Nagaland, NTC said the two most major issues -- sovereignty and integration -- were obviously left to be non-issues as per media report.
NTC said it was therefore “imperative” that anything that was agreed upon would be well within the ambit of Indian Constitution, and nothing above the status of Statehood whatever may be the interpretation.
Maintaining that it was also critical of the consultative meeting convened by NLA speaker, who is the Chairman of Nagaland Legislature Forum, on July 31, 2015 at Jotsoma, NTC said a major indigenous tribe from Nagaland was not invited.
Besides, NTC said other NPGs, which were not adverse to peaceful and lasting solution, were not taken into confidence, adding that the principle of inclusiveness was indispensable and major ingredient for lasting peace.
Whatever may be the attitude of the people in power, the NTC said it would steadfastly continue to represent the citizens of the state and project their aspirations at all levels.
NTC said it was apprehensive that the government of the day may have tendency to please others at the cost of its people and their land for selfish political games.
“Today, people talk about ‘broader autonomy’ and NTC questions when the lands in foothills which belongs to the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland is to be sacrificed in the guise of NSDZs or to be mortgaged for the so-called broader autonomy or better status is unacceptable – such autonomy or status at the expense of our limited valuable land will be a complete defeat of the purpose,” the release stated.
Therefore, NTC said such “malicious autonomy or status” was never the aspiration of the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland.
While maintaining it always stood for territorial integration of all contiguous Naga areas into one, NTC, however, said when there was no territorial integration, the ground reality of the status quo of Nagas living in different states has to be accepted till such time territorial integration took place in future.
Without territorial integration, NTC said it did not accept “mere population integration” in the manner of giving tribal status to Rongmeis in Nagaland whatever may be charted out as its mechanism.
Also, NTC said accommodation of Nagas from other states in the “tiny and unexpanding” state of Nagaland was indeed detrimental to the interest of indigenous Nagas of Nagaland except that “we continue to have fraternal brotherhood and peaceful coexistence amongst the Nagas wherever the Nagas are.”
While neighbouring states of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal were apprehensive of infringement on territorial integrity of each of them by the Accord, NTC said Nagas of Nagaland cannot be complacent as though “our inherent rights would not be infringed too by the same accord unless the contents are tabled in the public domain for wider consultation and accrue consensus thereof prior to finalization.”
NTC has therefore urged upon the government of Nagaland not to be swayed by emotion and selfish interest while handling the role of facilitator. It cautioned the government to beware of “transforming the hard earned State of Nagaland into nobody’s land but everybody’s State.”
Source: Nagalandpost (13 Aug. 2015)
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