NSF bats for flag, Constitution

Newmai News Network
DIMAPUR, Oct 24 : The Naga Students Federation (NSF) and its federating units wrote to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Wednesday demanding that the unique Naga identity be recognized through the Naga National flag which is dear to the hearts and minds of the Naga people.
The NSF and its federating units also demanded the Government of India to honor the 3rd August, 2015 Framework Agreement both in letter and in spirit as it was signed by both the entities in the presence of the Prime Minister of India.
The NSF its federating units then demanded that a solution to the protracted indo-Naga political issue should be inclusive, honorable and acceptable based on the uniqueness of Naga history.
The NSF and its federating units also demanded that the Government of India should focus on ‘mutually negotiated solution’ instead of ‘imposed solution’.
“The Government of India should desist from provoking the situation by sending Indian Armies to Naga homeland and issuing statement of threat,” the NSF and its federating units further demanded.
The NSF and its federating units then said they take their stand to make it “succinctly and explicitly clear” that for all times to come they will continue to pursue the Pan Naga youth aspiration of integration and sovereignty through a democratic process. The NSF and its units also said they will continue to stand by its own identity and principles laid down by its founding fathers in the larger interest of the Nagas.
“We pray that the right wisdom will prevail and will bring lasting peace and progress to the Naga people,” the memorandum of the NSF added. The memorandum also mentioned the background of the ongoing peace process.
The memorandum then expressed resentment against “RN Ravi’s dual role and his conduct”.
According to the NSF and its units, RN Ravi in his dual role as the Government of India Interlocutor as well as the Governor of Nagaland is viewed with skepticism by the Naga people at large. “However, the federation refrained from making our disagreement public hoping that he would discharge his dual duty with the highest degree of integrity which, to our utter dismay, was not to be,” it added.
The NSF and its units then mentioned about the “deadline in the negotiation process”.
According to the memorandum, the Indo-Naga peace process has been ongoing since the last 22 years making much progress. “However, the recent development wherein the Government of India Interlocutor has been resorting to imposing unilateral deadline of October 31, 2019 upon the Naga negotiating team is against the universally accepted principle of a peaceful and mutually agreed negotiation”. It also said that no honorable solution can be brought about if one of the teams to the negotiation starts to throw their weight around and tries to impose the same upon the opposite party.
“The Federation therefore seeks the intervention of your good office in advising the Interlocutor to refrain from holding the hard earn peace process to ransom,” the memorandum added.
On the NSF and other civil organizations being reportedly sidelined in the “present consultative process”, the apex Naga student body said, “It is an undeniable fact that the NSF is the oldest pan Naga civil society organization formed to represent the voice of the Naga people”, while adding, “It is also the fact that the federation is older than even the Union of India”.
“However, in the recent series of consultative meets, the Federation has been left out as an uninvited guest thereby depriving the Naga students and youths the opportunity to express their aspirations and desires from the impending solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue,” rued the NSF and its federating units. The memorandum said that its sentiments have been deeply hurt by the non-invitation by R N Ravi.
The memorandum then said that the sacrifices of many Nagas whether they are dead or still alive, is not a struggle for Naga identity alone; it is also a struggle for self determination, a struggle against the imposition of alien culture and values, a struggle against the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the forces determined to keep us subjugated.
“It is in this background that the NSF made its standpoint crystal clear that economic packages or monetary assistance cannot purchase the rights of the Naga people. Rather, the Government of India should not hesitate from allowing the Naga people to retain their legitimate rights,” the memorandum added.