Spokespersons: Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Shri K. Therie and Shri Ranajit Mukherjee: Dr. Ajoy Kumar said that this press conference is to tell you how the BJP has callously betrayed the aspirations of the Naga people, as well as sacrificed national interest for their selfish, narrow electoral and political interest.

For more than 25 years, there have been painstaking conversation and negotiation between successive Govt. of India (GOI) and NSCN-IM as well as other groups, and the ceasefire agreement that started on August 01, 1997, has held through this period. On August 03, 2015, there was a sudden flurry of movement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The Prime Minister said that GOI and NSCN-IM have successfully concluded the dialogue on the Naga Political issue, which has existed for six decades and agreement signed! Yet today seven years on, we realize it was another mammoth ‘jumla’, a huge drama created with no actual substance behind it.

On October 31, 2019, there was an official declaration that the talks have been concluded as per Interlocutor RN Ravi. And finally, this year on July16 the Parliamentary Committee on Naga Political Issue, which reflects the will of the 60 elected members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, gave recognition to the two official agreements. Uniquely all 60 members of the Assembly comprising of NDPP, BJP and NPF together form the UDA Government (no opposition in the Assembly), hence their assent is the assent of the elected representatives of the citizens of the state.

However, instead of bringing the resolution of the Parliamentary Committee to Delhi and ensuring implementation of ‘solution’, Rio and the BJP Prabhari in-charge of Nagaland Nalin Kohli went ahead to sign a seat-sharing agreement without the knowledge of the state BJP leaders, as evidenced by the statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Patton after it was made public.

BJP wants to put its electoral interest before the national interest and allow the NSCN-IM, the oldest insurgency group in the country to continue as before.

On the contrary, there is the Congress party which has always put the nation first before the party’s political interests. An example is the Assam Accord: Shri Rajiv Gandhi signed the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, that largely settled the Assam issue and brought the student agitators to the mainstream. They subsequently formed the party ‘Asom Gana Parishad’ and were elected to government from 1985 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2001. Rajiv ji prioritised the national interest over the Congress party’s political interests.

The August 05 Rally organized by Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC) in Dimapur demonstrated the loss of belief amongst common people in the UDA Govt’s promise to implement the solution.

However, by completely avoiding mention of Nagaland in his August 15 speech, the Prime Minister has made it clear that they have no intention of implementing a solution before holding the state elections.

We have some direct questions to the Government.

Question 1: Is it true that the UDA Govt. of Nagaland and the BJP Govt. at the Centre are not implementing the solution because they are afraid that this will result in a complete change in the electoral dynamics of the state with the decommissioning of NSCN armed cadre and which will lead to their electoral defeat in 2023?

Question 2: Is ED not implementing proceedings of the disproportionate assets case against Chief Minister Rio because of a deal made to postpone the solution and bring about favourable seat-sharing pre-poll arrangements for the BJP?

Question 3: Why are the details of the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position, which is likely to lead to changes in terms of administration, political representation, constituency delimitation, financial autonomy for the State of Nagaland, not being disclosed to the people of Nagaland? Why is there so much secrecy?

Question 4: If the talks have concluded, how can there be further discussion with the NSCN? Is maintaining the ceasefire the only solution for the BJP, rather than implementation of the agreements?

Question 5: Since the implementation of the Agreement and Agreed Position would lead to decommissioning of arms and the integrating of NSCN cadre into mainstream society, does the fact that the GOI has not taken steps to do so after October 31, 2019, mean that the BJP and Chief Minister wishes that the armed cadre of NSCN continues to operate for their own political motives and help them in next assembly elections?

Question 6: What is the locus standi of Assam Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma in escorting the Nagaland’s ChiefMinister, Rio, to BJP Ministers in Delhi? Is the Convenor of NEDA serious about his party’s promise of ‘election for solution’ or does he not want to see peace and harmony in the region? Thursday, August 18, 2022.