Nagaland: Travails of Framework Agreement linked to Governor R N Ravi, claims NSCN (IM)

While the framework agreement has been put in cold storage, something “unthinkable emanating” from the Raj Bhawan in Kohima has taken over the “scene” five years after the accord was signed, the NSCN (IM) noted in Nagaland.

“The ulterior motive behind such move has forced the Nagas to point fingers against RN Ravi, the Centre’s interlocutor for Indo-Naga peace talks,” the ministry of information and publicity of the outfit said in a release on Sunday.

The framework agreement was signed between the Centre and the NSCN (IM) at the official residence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 3, 2015.

Centre’s interlocutor Ravi, who is the present Nagaland Governor, signed the agreement on behalf of the government of India and NSCN chairman late Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Th. Muivah signed it from the NSCN side.

Also read: Nagaland: 5 years of manipulation and insincerity, says NSCN (IM) on Naga Peace Accord

“It was a defining moment as it was arranged as a high profile political programme where all the dignitaries who matter from both sides were present. The world was made to witness as it was live telecast on different TV channels,” the release said.

It said the agreement was signed with much hype and anticipation in the political circle. There was much excitement and jubilation as Prime Minister Modi called up all the political leaders who matter that he has solved the longest political issue of Southeast Asia.

The NSCN (IM) quoted the concluding remark of the framework agreement as “It is a matter of great satisfaction that dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN has successfully concluded and we are confident it will provide for an enduring new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities. The two sides agreed that within this Framework Agreement details and execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly”.

“But five years down the line, the scourge of manipulation, misinterpretation and insincerity has kept the pot boiling,” it said.

The outfit alleged that Ravi, as seen in his verbal tone, has upped the ante against the Naga political groups as he brazenly used “slanderous” terminology like “armed gangs” “underground groups”

“But what has directly pricked the consciousness of the Naga people at large is when Ravi went for the profiling,” it said.

According to the NSCN, Ravi made the Nagaland government issue an office memorandum on July 7 to all the administrative heads of departments seeking information from employees about their relations with the Naga underground groups.

“But we put on record that there are no Naga families who are not connected with the Naga political groups in one way or the other,” the outfit asserted.

It also alleged that Ravi’s “deceptive manner” of handling the framework agreement has driven the Naga people far away as he deceitfully went beyond the call of interlocutor to indulge himself in playing divisive game among the Nagas to dismantle the very foundation of the agreement. 

This has created a huge trust deficit on the government of India, the NSCN said.

According to it, the way forward with regard to the fate of framework agreement is now faced with deep ambivalence.

The outfit said the government of India must undo the environment of mistrust being built over the time because it should not take recourse to “unethical means to circumvent any conceived obstacles”.

It added that the only way forward is to honour in letter and spirit what has been mutually agreed upon. 

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