Centre not willing to grant separate flag, constitution to Nagaland: SC Jamir

Informing that he met union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday in New Delhi seeking a clarity on demand of separate flag and constitution for Nagaland, Mr Jamir told reporters that separate flag and constitution was not possible.

Asserting that Naga people have been waiting for an early solution to the Naga peace talks, Mr Jamir warned that people of the state are fed up with delay in finding a solution to the Naga peace talks.

Referring his discussion with union home minister Amit Shah, Mr Jamr said, “India has only one Prime Minister, only one Constitution and only one flag.”

The NSCN(I-M) has been been asserting that a solution to the Naga peace-talks cannot happen until the Centre accepts Naga people’s demand for a separate constitution and flag.

It is significant that the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) a joint platform of six armed rebel groups engaged in Naga peace talks recently said that the union government should finalise the Naga peace pact according to the terms of the agreement signed with the group in 2019, the provisions of which include a separate page in Indian passports for the Nagas and a bicameral legislature in Nagaland.

The NNPG stated that the political solution reached with the union government fully recognised the Naga identity, with a separate page in the Indian passport, a separate contingent of Nagas in all international events and an enhanced representation in both houses of Parliament.

NSCN-IM General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah has been maintaining that the separate flag and constitution for the Nagas, contentious issues that have stalled the peace process, are inseparable from the sovereignty of the people.

The Framework Agreement signed between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) to bring lasting peace in Nagaland was inked in 2015 recognising the unique history and sovereignty of the Nagas, Mr Muivah asserted.

The framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by Mr Muivah and government interlocutor for Naga peace talks Mr R N Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The pact came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years, with the first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland which started soon after Independence in 1947.

In between the Nagaland government also constituted a 'Political Affairs Committee' (PAC) comprising ministers and legislature party leaders of all political parties in the State Assembly to find an inclusive solution to the Naga Political issue. The PAC was constituted during a high-level political meeting held on May 9 under the chairmanship of chief minister Neiphiu Rio.