KOHIMA, JUNE 22: On the recent development regarding the Working Committee of NNPGs’ recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on oil exploration and the group’s (NNPGs) reported comment on the role of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) in the Naga political process, the latter said today that the Indo-Naga issue does not belong to any one person, group, or political party. “It is a historic issue built on the sacrifices and hopes of generations of Nagas. At this stage, we must not create more divisions through blame and criticism. We must work with wisdom, maturity, and unity to find an honourable, acceptable, and inclusive political solution”, the Naga People’s Front (NPF), Central Headquarters, Kohima, said today.
The NPF also said it noted that “such criticism” has come at a time when the Naga people need to focus on bigger challenges. The NPF further said unity and collective effort bring progress, not highlighting differences. It added that public arguments that distract from the larger interests of the Naga people serve no purpose when “we need unity and understanding most”.
“The claim that the NPF stopped members of the Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation (NGBF) from meeting the Prime Minister is false”, the NPF clarified.
The NPF then said it “believes that Gaon Buras have specific duties related to village governance and customary administration”. The NPF also said the Gaon Buras should focus on these responsibilities within their given role. Getting involved in matters outside this role can cause unnecessary confusion, it added.
The claim that the NPF was responsible for the exit of former interlocutor R.N. Ravi is also baseless, the NPF further clarified. “The appointment, continuation, or transfer of the Government of India representatives is decided only by the Government of India”, it stated.
According to the NPF, R.N. Ravi was carrying out duties given to him by the Government of India as Governor and as interlocutor in the Naga peace process. During that time, different groups—tribal bodies, churches, civil society, and political parties—shared different views on the talks, said the NPF. Such views were part of normal political discussion around the peace process, it added.
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The NPF also clarified the criticism on political-level engagement in the peace process. The NPF said it has been saying that the Indo-Naga issue, because of its unique history and political nature, needs attention and engagement at the highest political level. This issue is not new, and it cannot be solved through routine administrative steps, the party further said, adding, “After a long and difficult journey, it now needs sincere political leadership and clear decisions to reach a honourable conclusion”.
In this regard, the consultative meeting on the Naga political issue held by the Government of Nagaland on September 12, 2024, is important, said the NPF. “Tribal hohos, church bodies, civil society groups, student bodies, political parties, Nagaland MPs, elected MLAs, and other stakeholders all attended”. They unanimously passed a resolution asking the Government of India to appoint an interlocutor of political or ministerial rank with full authority, the NPF informed. The call for political-level engagement was not just the NPF’s stand or one leader’s view, it also clarified. It was the united voice of Naga society through an official consultative process, the NPF added.
“That same meeting also appreciated both the Government of India and the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) for keeping the peace process alive despite long challenges and sacrifices”, the NPF claimed. It appealed for more unity among all sections of Naga society and agreed to discourage factionalism and division in the Naga political movement. The NPF said these resolutions showed the deep desire of the Naga people for reconciliation, unity, and an early political settlement. “It is unfortunate when positions from such collective decisions are selectively quoted or misrepresented”, it lamented.
Regarding the recent Memorandum of Understanding on oil exploration, the NPF said it “understands” the concerns raised by different sections of Naga society on ownership and management of natural resources. “But such issues must be handled with a historical view, clear facts, and collective responsibility”.
The Assam-Nagaland boundary dispute has continued for decades and remains one of the most complex issues in the region, said the NPF. Along many parts of this disputed area lie valuable mineral and petroleum resources that have been contested for years, it also said. Assam had started exploration and drilling in some of these areas long before the present MoU, it added. “This has been a matter of concern even before such an agreement was thought of. So it is wrong to say that the issue of oil exploration came up only because of the recent MoU”, the NPF further added.
The NPF then said that whether Nagaland signed such an arrangement or not, the basic questions of territory, resource ownership, and competing claims have existed for decades. It also stated any serious discussion must accept these historical facts instead of reducing a complex issue to narrow political debate.
“It is also important that both the Governments of Nagaland and Assam have, in recent years, shown willingness to settle the boundary dispute peacefully through dialogue and mutual understanding”, said the NPF, adding, “Such efforts aim to resolve a long-standing issue while keeping peace and good neighbourly relations”. Responsible groups should support constructive dialogue and constitutional processes instead of using sensitive issues for short-term political gain, it further added.
Since the Government of India has officially recognized the Indo-Naga issue as a political issue needing a political solution, the NPF said it “believes” the younger generation should engage with it seriously and constructively. “Differences of opinion are natural. But the long history of sacrifice and hope linked to the Naga movement calls for informed understanding, not anger”, the NPF also stated.
At this critical stage of the peace process, the NPF said it is clear that the Naga people gain nothing from blaming each other. “The task before us is bigger than any one group or party. We need patience over provocation, dialogue over discord, and wisdom over empty talk”, it added.
During these difficult times, the NPF said Naga villages in Manipur continue to face attacks from ‘adversaries’. It stated that the recent killing of “six innocent Nagas” has caused deep sorrow across all Naga areas. “Our people expect Naga freedom fighters to give priority to protecting Naga villages and lives”, said the NPF, adding, “Political dialogue must go hand in hand with real security on the ground for Nagas under attack”. The Naga political solution and Naga lives cannot be separated, it stated. Without security for villages, political agreements mean little to ordinary Nagas, the NPF also said.
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The NPF then said history remembers those who built bridges, not those who created divisions. The real challenge before all stakeholders is not just to defend positions, but to create conditions for an honourable and lasting resolution of the Naga political issue, it also said. “The Naga people do not want endless debate. They want a just, honourable, acceptable, and inclusive political solution that protects their history, identity, rights, and future”, it added.
The NPF, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders—Naga political groups (NPGs), tribal hohos, church organizations, civil society bodies, and political parties—to uphold unity, mutual respect, and collective responsibility that have guided the Naga political journey for generations. The party said it “remains” committed to working with all concerned toward an honourable, acceptable, and inclusive political solution that brings dignity to the past, stability to the present, and a secure future.
