The Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation (NGBF), an association of village elders who wield significant clout at the grassroots level as custodians of customary laws, has said it will not accept a Naga solution that is “ambiguous and shrouded in mystery and secrecy”.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the federation also said it “will not allow our land (Nagaland) and people to be eternally threatened by bullies with guns” while advising the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, or NSCN (IM) to be transparent, like its rival conglomerate.
The NSCN (IM) calls itself the National Socialist Council of Nagalim. Its rival groups are clubbed together as the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).
The NGBF said it has not deviated from its position that the final agreement should be signed according to the October 31, 2019, understanding between the Centre and the two negotiating groups – NSCN (IM) and NNGPs – based on the August 2015 Framework Agreement.
“The Nagas will not be a party to any solution that is enforced and without transparency,” the federation said, adding that its members had in the September 4 meeting with NSCN (IM) chairman Q. Tuccu asked all factions to “come under a single platform”. It also advised the NSCN (IM) to “disclose to the Nagas the contents and blueprint of post-solution political and administrative structure” like the NNGPs had done by sharing its “status paper on Indo-Naga political talks”.
Reminding of the role of Naga village chiefs in building the “Naga nationhood” for more than a century, the NGBF alluded to a “nefarious game plan by an unprincipled and uninformed group of people desperately trying to limit, discredit, marginalise and muffle” the traditionally-honoured voices and authority of Naga village chiefs.
The federation said the system of Gaon Bura (village chief) was institutionalised by the British in the Naga Hills much before India got independence. “The system has been retained as premier traditional body In recognition of its authority,” it added.
The NGBF had in August slammed the NSCN (IM) for demanding the replacement of R.N. Ravi as the Governor of Nagaland. The federation said the demand was “unjust and untenable”.
Mr. Ravi and the NSCN IM) have been at loggerheads since the former shot off a letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on June 16, stating that “armed gangs” were virtually running parallel governments in the State and extorting the people.
The NSCN (IM) took offence at the term used by the government and asserted its right to collect “taxes” for the government it runs. It also criticised several Nagaland-based social and tribal organisations for being tutored by Mr. Ravi.
In August, the NGBF criticised the NSCN (IM) for describing 14 Naga tribes (of Nagaland), their organisations and civil society groups as having been “planted” by Mr. Ravi.
Most of the NSCN (IM) members are Nagas of adjoining Manipur.
