Newmai News Network
DIMAPUR, AUG 1: The Naga Hoho has once again urged the Government of India to make an “honest, determined and concerted effort to bring about a permanent solution to the Indo-Naga issue that is acceptable, inclusive and sustainable to all the stakeholders”.
The Naga Hoho said this during its first federal assembly for the tenure 2024-2028 held at AIDA Conference Hall, Don Bosco Hr. Secondary School in Dimapur today.
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The Naga Hoho said that the peace talks between the Nagas and the Government of India have been ongoing for 27 years. The present ceasefire agreement was first signed between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) on July 25, 1997. Subsequently, the Government of India has penned agreements with Naga groups at various stages, most notably, the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015 and the Agreed Position on November 17, 2017, said the Naga Hoho. “Regrettably, every accord signed by the Government of India with the Nagas, even prior to the present accords in question, has been inconclusive due to the lack of integrity and political will of the Government of India. It also said the accords have failed to progress beyond mere appeasement on paper to actual implementation in letter and spirit. As such, the Naga Hoho expressed dismay at the statement of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in an interview with “The Assam Tribune” newspaper on April 8, 2024 whereby, he claimed “more than 9,500 insurgents have surrendered since 2014 and integrated into the mainstream showcasing a substantial step towards peace and development in the region”. He also claimed that 11 peace accords have been signed over the last 10 years (NP, April 9, 2024). “The Naga Hoho firmly opines that integration into mainstream and mere signing of accords cannot address the root cause of Naga Issue. Absence of open conflict is not permanent peace. The Naga Hoho re-iterates that the present Government of India should make an honest, determined and concerted effort to bring about a permanent solution to the Indo-Naga issue that is acceptable, inclusive and sustainable to all the stakeholders,” the Naga Hoho added.
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In order to create a conducive atmosphere of mutual trust between the negotiating parties, the Naga Hoho re-iterated the demand that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) must be scrapped. “It is intrinsically draconian and Machiavellian in spirit. Under the guise and secure with the protection provided by the AFSPA, the Indian Armed Forces has perpetrated inhuman atrocities defying all human rights, heralding a reign of terror upon innocent Nagas and other people too like ‘Operation Bluebird’ at Oinam 1987, Mokokchung and Akuluto in the bleak winter of 1994-95, Kohima 1995, and most recently in Oting Nagaland in 2021. In this context, the Naga Hoho supports the recent effort of the Nagaland Government to seek justice for the victims of Oting Butchery by the Indian Armed Forces. The Naga Hoho also calls for broad constitutional reforms to permanently repeal this Draconian Act which has no place in a democratic set-up,” the Naga Hoho further added.
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The Naga Hoho assembly then re-affirmed the Naga Hoho press statement dated January 14, 2024 wherein, the former opposed the removal of the Free Movement Regiment in the Indo-Myanmar borderland. The Hoho re-iterated that any endeavor to abolish the Free Naga Regime is antithetical to the interests of the Nagas, obstructing the historical and cultural ties that transcend man-made national and international borders.
The Naga Hoho assembly then deliberated on the “menace” of illegal immigrants in Indigenous peoples’ areas in the North East region of India. “The ethnic conflicts sprouting up in the region, most recently, the Kuki-Meitei conflict in Manipur can be attributed to the irresponsible, complacent and short-sighted policies of the government in the states as well as in New Delhi,” it added.
The Naga Hoho assembly then appealed to all sections of the Naga people, “irrespective of state-imposed political boundaries”, to be steadfast and united in our common struggle towards achieving a Naga nationhood.
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