Where Is The Naga Peace Accord?
Is the NDA government committed to the issue or was it another jumla?
On August 3, 2015, the BJP government at the centre signed a framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), for a mutually agreed solution to the Naga issue.
In a tweet, PM Narendra Modi had hailed the framework agreement as, “not merely the end of a problem but the beginning of a new future.” However, three years on, neither the problem has ended, nor the “new future” has arrived.
Today, we mark not merely the end of a problem but the beginning of a new future. #Nagaland http://t.co/23SUObuL4T pic.twitter.com/35x4ih8qQN
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 3, 2015
According to reports, it has been agreed between the Naga political groups and the government that the boundaries of the state will remain the same and that special rights will be granted. However, there are several issues, like the question of a separate state flag, on which there is no consensus.
There were expectations that the Naga Accord would be tabled in the Monsoon session of Parliament.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, in a report tabled in Parliament, has also rapped the NDA government for “dragging its feet” with respect to finalisation of the Naga Accord. It also noted that the peace process should not be delayed further. “The committee apprehends that the Naga groups and tribal bodies are becoming restless due to the delay in concluding the talks.”
Since the Modi government is already under public scrutiny for making hollow promises, there are doubts about whether the promise of a Naga Peace Accord was another jumla to lure in Naga votes in the state’s assembly elections held in February 2018.