Naga political issue Naga Rising stresses on understanding

Newmai News Network
DIMAPUR, Sep 16: The Naga Rising, an organization formed by known faces of the Naga society, has said that mutual understanding is only way forward towards honourable solution to the Indo-Naga issue.
The Naga Rising then quoted AZ Phizo’s letter to C. Rajagopalachari, the first Governor General of free India dated November 22, 1948 which was written from his prison cell at Presidency Jail, Calcutta where he had been lodged, which says, “Nagas must know what India wants and India must know what the Nagas want and make a settlement.”
In a statement made available to Newmai News Network late on Sunday evening, The Naga Rising said that the Government of India and the NSCN (IM), engaged in a sustained dialogue process for the last more than 22 years and the 7 Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) since 2017, will agree with this insight that Phizo had given as far back as 1948.
“Today we believe there is much better understanding between India and the Nagas,” it said.
“Prime Minister Modi said this during the signing of the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015 where he added that both India and the Nagas had ‘continued to look at each other through the prism of false perceptions and old prejudices’”, the statement of The Nag Rising also said.
“Modi went on to describe the Framework Agreement as ‘a shining example of what we can achieve when we deal with each other in a spirit of equality and respect, trust and confidence; when we seek to understand concerns and try to address aspirations...”’” it added.
At this very important juncture when all substantive issues are believed to have been resolved, barring the question of a separate flag and constitution, The Naga Rising is of the firm belief that India and the Nagas must look to understand each other’s needs and aspirations as the only way forward towards an honourable solution, the statement further said
The Naga Rising then said that the apparent disagreement over recognizing a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas is delaying the finalization of the peace agreement.
“However, both sides in the negotiation cannot afford to simply throw away everything that has been gained in the last two decades. The Naga masses too have walked through thick and thin of the long drawn ceasefire and also invested their social capital and goodwill in the peace process,” it added.
“In any negotiation, a give and take has to be there,” it further said.
“If Nagas have got some of the things they wanted from India, what can Nagas offer India in return? Similarly, what can India offer to the Nagas?,” The Naga Rising statement asked.
In a successful negotiation, both sides should feel contended. We firmly believe that the objective of the present Indo-Naga peace process should be an agreement, not victory.
The Naga Rising then said that it takes “this public stand” that any solution has to be mutual and agreed by both sides and it cannot be forced upon the other. India as the bigger entity cannot impose its will on the Nagas.
According to the statement, “lest we forget”, the recognition of the unique history and situation of the Nagas by the Government of India and the wide-spectrum of political support to the Naga peace process through successive Indian Prime Ministers, all this should not be undermined.
The Naga Rising then appealed to both the Government of India and the Naga negotiators to explore the full range of possibilities towards a peaceful agreement by exhibiting upmost flexibility and accommodation.
It then opined that some kind of formulation can be arrived at to allow the peaceful co-existence of the Indians and the Naga flags. The other thing that can be agreed upon is to have a list of flag days set aside to celebrate certain historical events important for the Nagas, it suggested.
“Likewise, certain principles and protocols can be mutually agreed upon such as the Naga flag being flown in a way that respects the status of India. And when there is a single flagpole, the Indian tri-colour should fly above the Naga flag to respect its status as the guardian power,” the statement also said.
On the question of having a separate Naga constitution, The Naga Rising said that there is already a provision in the Indian Constitution for Nagaland State under Article 371 (A).
“But since the upcoming peace accord is expected to go into more details involving sharing of sovereign powers, pan-Naga body, autonomy provisions etc. there is nothing wrong in allowing for a different document,” it also said, while adding, “In fact a separate Naga constitution will define the new set of arrangement between India and the Nagas”. It also said that this will help in providing clarity and purpose to implement the provision of the accord without any dispute and misunderstanding.
Cocluding its statement, The Naga Rising said that without a give and take approach, negotiations are bound to fail.
“Both the Naga negotiating parties have painstakingly borne the aspirations of the Naga people through the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 and the ‘Agreed Position’ or ‘Preamble’ signed on November 17, 2017,” it pointed out.
It then said that the respective tricolor and Naga flag flying together will be a powerful symbol of reconciliation and a commitment to a shared future, which should be one of the outcomes of the peace accord between India and the Nagas.
“A novel political arrangement that accommodates the aspiration of Nagas will not only demonstrate India’s leadership role in Asia, but a successful Naga peace accord will add to further securing India’s interests against external adversaries,” The Naga Rising statement added.