The National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN (I-M), also known as the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, said its 2015 agreement with New Delhi should not be equated with a peace deal signed with a conglomerate of rival groups to resolve the protracted Naga peace process.
The Centre signed the Framework Agreement with the NSCN (I-M) in August 2015 and the Agreed Position with the working committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in November 2017.
In a statement on Wednesday (February 12, 2025) evening, the NSCN (I-M) said the Agreed Position was nothing but a “colouration” of Article 371A of the Constitution of India “craftily handled by the Indian agencies”.
The NSCN (I-M) said the negotiations between the Centre and the NNPGs were concluded in October 2019, making it difficult to align the Framework Agreement with the Agreed Position.
The extremist group lauded 21 MPs for writing to Home Minister Amit Shah a week ago, seeking a detailed update on the Naga peace process in Parliament. The MPs said the peace process should not be “relegated to bureaucratic manoeuvring devoid of democratic oversight” while pointing out that there has not been a full-time interlocutor for the negotiations since 2021.
The concerns raised by the MPs over the “Indo-Naga political issue” once again brought the Framework Agreement to the fore, the NSCN (I-M) said, and questioned the sincerity of the Indian government in honouring its commitment to the peace process.
The group called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to uphold the Framework Agreement, which it claimed accommodated the demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Naga domain.
The NSCN (I-M), however, accused some Naga representatives in Parliament of undermining the Naga cause.
Underlining the geopolitical significance of Nagalim (Nagaland and the Naga-inhabited areas beyond), the group urged the Centre to “send a clear message… and ensure that the fragile situation does not escalate into turmoil”.
Taking the Framework Agreement to its logical conclusion would ensure a genuine and honourable resolution to the political problem and bring lasting peace to the region, the NSCN (I-M) said.
