ANSAM Expresses Disappointment on 10th Anniversary of Indo-Naga Framework Agreement, Cites Lack of Tangible Progress

Today, on the anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM in New Delhi on August 3, 2015, the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has expressed disappointment that "ten years have passed without any tangible solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue, posing serious questions and concerns in the minds of the public".

The ANSAM said the Naga people wholeheartedly welcomed and are endorsing the August 3, 2015, Framework Agreement between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) signed ceremoniously in the presence of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, accompanied by key leaders of the Government of India at the official residence of the Prime Minister, New Delhi, before the worldwide audience. "It gave the Nagas high hopes for an early and logical settlement of the Indo-Naga issue. Yet, ten years have passed without any tangible solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue, posing serious questions and concerns in the minds of the public", it added.

The ANSAM, however, expressed its appreciation to all the former Prime Ministers of India who have made sincere efforts towards resolving the Indo-Naga political issue. The unprecedented recognition of the "unique history and situation of the Nagas" by the then Government of India under the leadership of the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the year 2002 demonstrated the seriousness and genuine concern for the settlement of the protracted violent conflicts in the Indian sub-continent, the ANSAM also said. "This official recognition by the Government of India that 'Nagas have the history of independence, that Nagas have neither been part of the Union of India nor that of Myanmar (Burma), nor any other powers either by consent or by conquest, and the situation and position of Nagalim is political, not a law and order problem' stands as a landmark in the Indo-Naga peace process", the ANSAM also said. Ever since, the Naga people have been steadfastly committed to the Indo-Naga peace process, reposing their faith in the successive leaders at the helm of the Government of India to resolve the issue amicably, the ANSAM added.

Today, the ANSAM then expressed its deepest concern over the continued delay tactics and misplaced behavior of the Government of India in resolving the protracted Indo-Naga political issue and questioned the commitment and sincerity of the Indian leadership. The ANSAM then "earnestly" called upon the Government of India to expedite the peace talk by restoring the process to the track to hammer out a logical conclusion in the true spirit of the "Framework Agreement".

The ANSAM also strongly re-emphasized that it was the realization of the "political nature" of the Naga issue on the part of India that paved the way for negotiation. The 28 years of political talks demands a logical conclusion with due recognition of Naga flag, constitution and integration as our inalienable rights, the ANSAM also said.  Any agreement without ensuring these will not address the political aspirations of the Nagas as a people, it asserted. The Naga people are eagerly waiting for the wholesome and inclusive political solution for all the Nagas living in contiguous Naga areas, the Naga student body also said. The ANSAM then called upon all the Naga people to remain vigilant, united, and steadfast in commitment towards the journey of Nagas' struggles to secure our rightful place by realizing the historical and political rights of the Nagas.