Kohima: Over the past decade, two agreements—the Framework Agreement signed with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN-IM in 2015, and the Agreed Position reached with the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in 2017—have played a significant role in shaping the ongoing Naga peace talks with the Government of India.
While the NNPGs, a coalition of seven Naga political groups, including various NSCN splinter factions, has pushed for an early settlement, NSCN-IM, one of the oldest, remains central to negotiations due to its historical role in the Naga political movement.
The Naga conflict dates back to 1881 when the British annexed the Naga Hills for strategic control. By 1918, Naga nationalism emerged with the formation of the Naga Club, which opposed integration with India. In 1947, the Naga National Council signed a Nine-Point Agreement with India, but disputes over its extension led to a Naga declaration of independence on 14 August 1947.
India responded by deploying forces in 1952, triggering a violent insurgency. In 1958, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) was enacted, granting sweeping powers to the armed forces.
Internal divisions among Naga rebels hindered peace efforts for decades, and in 1962, the 16-Point Agreement was signed to form a state within the Indian Union. However, most rebels rejected it and continued fighting for an independent Nagalim.
The 1975 Shillong Accord saw a section of the Naga National Council (NNC) accept the Indian Constitution, but many rebels, led by Isak Chishi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah, and SS Khaplang, rejected it and formed the NSCN in 1980.
According to NSCN-IM Vice-Chairman Tongmeth Wangnao, speaking at the outfit’s 46th Raising Day celebration at Camp Hebron on Friday, 45 years ago, the Naga nation and history were placed on the brink of vanishing in the hands of the NNC.
“That was the time when some members of NNC/FGN miserably failed to stand the test of time when cornered by the Government of India, to surrender on their own volition, accepting the Constitution of India without conditions, thus creating a dangerous terminus. It was the most shocking incident that caught the people of Nagalim and the bona fide national workers off guard,” he said.
At the time, NSCN-IM’s founding leaders—Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah—were in China when they learnt of the Shillong Accord. “The Chinese were no less shocked by the traitorous elements among the NNC. They expressed their empathy and advised Isak Chishi Swu and Th Muivah to go back and reorganise the Naga political movement,” Wangnao recalled.
This led to the formation of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) on 31 January 1980 to continue the Naga political struggle, marking a new beginning in Naga history. Isak Chishi Swu was elected Chairman, SS Khaplang as Vice-Chairman, and Thuingaleng Muivah as General Secretary.
In 1988, the NSCN split into two, with the Isak-Muivah-led NSCN-IM, which favoured talks with India, and NSCN-Khaplang (NSCN-K), which opposed them. The Indian government began negotiations with NSCN-IM, leading to a ceasefire in July 1997.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) annual report for 2023-24 lists the NSCN-Khaplang group as the only “terrorist organisation” operating in Nagaland.
The NSCN-IM reiterated that the Government of India gave official recognition to the rights of the Nagas on two occasions. “The first was official recognition of the uniqueness of Naga history on 11 July 2002, in the Amsterdam meeting, followed by the Framework Agreement of 3 August 2015, New Delhi, with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, as the architect of the historic agreement,” Wangnao highlighted.
The 2015 meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was accompanied by a host of top-level ministers, including the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chief of Army Staff, and other high dignitaries in the Government of India. NSCN-IM was represented by its collective leadership.
“These two official recognitions are the indelible milestones that the world has come to know about the Indo-Naga political negotiations. Significantly, the signing ceremony of the Framework Agreement was given high-profile political status when the whole programme was broadcast live for the world to bear witness,” he recalled.
Decades of negotiations culminated in the signing of the Framework Agreement on 3 August 2015, between NSCN-IM and the Indian government. The agreement was hailed as a breakthrough as it recognised Nagalim as a distinct entity with its unique history, sovereignty, and identity.
However, differences over key issues, particularly NSCN-IM’s demand for a separate Naga constitution and flag, have stalled progress towards a final settlement. NSCN-IM chief negotiator Th Muivah also openly acknowledged that the Government of India had deliberately betrayed the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement by refusing to recognise and acknowledge the Nagalim sovereign national flag and Nagalim sovereign national constitution.
Meanwhile, in 2017, the Indian government inked a separate deal, known as the Agreed Position, with NNPGs, which have shown willingness to settle for autonomy within India rather than outright sovereignty. This has created a dual-track negotiation process.
“For the past more than 27 years, we have been talking with the Government of India on the strength of the truth behind the Naga political movement. However, it is very unfortunate that the Government of India agencies have indulged themselves in unethical conduct to create many enemies behind the Naga political talks led by NSCN,” Wangnao observed.
As reported earlier, the state has recorded nearly 30 splinter groups over the years, with only five groups, including NSCN-IM, in a ceasefire with the Centre. The Nagaland government, which became an opposition-less government on the pretext of the Naga political issue, has been pressing for the unity of Naga political groups.
Recently, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in charge of Home, Yanthungo Patton, reiterated the Centre’s willingness to resolve the long-standing Naga political issue, emphasising the need for unity among Naga factions. He had said that the Government of India is prepared to offer a solution, but there will only be one solution.
While the direction of the peace talks remains uncertain, Wangnao stated that the fate of the Indo-Naga political talks now rests in the “hands of God.”
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