WC of NNPGs links FNTA pact to broader Naga political issue, calls for final settlement

The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) has welcomed the February 5 tripartite agreement paving the way for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for eastern Nagaland, while emphasising that the arrangement must be viewed within the broader context of the unresolved Indo–Naga political issue.

In a press statement issued on February 10, the WC-NNPG said the agreement signed between the Government of India, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) and the Government of Nagaland has “rekindled hope” in eastern Nagaland and represents a “timely correction of the historical injustice” endured by the people of the region. It described the development as “a powerful reminder that the will of the people is supreme.”

The Working Committee stated that the new arrangement must “realign and calibrate” long-neglected administrative and economic shortcomings in eastern Nagaland. It further stressed that it is the responsibility of eastern Nagas to evolve an “ingenious, independent and transparent mechanism” to ensure that commitments made on paper translate into tangible progress on the ground.

While acknowledging the FNTA announcement, the WC-NNPG cautioned that a larger and unresolved Indo–Naga political issue remains, encompassing the entire Naga ancestral homeland. It recalled that negotiations had “officially concluded” on October 31, 2019, and asserted that “clear negotiated charters” are currently before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The statement noted that the “Status Paper” emerging from the talks is inclusive of Nagas in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and maintained that “New Delhi and Kohima are on the same page.” However, it added that if the Nagaland state government seeks to pursue a separate agenda with the Centre or appoint a new interlocutor, “that is a different matter.”

Reiterating its position as a negotiating entity, the WC-NNPG declared that the Indo–Naga talks have concluded and that all core political matters have been thoroughly deliberated. It described any attempt to downgrade the “Agreed Position” as “inconceivable.”

The Working Committee maintained that the Naga people have moved beyond the interlocutory phase and that the “only rational and practical path” forward is the announcement and signing of a final political agreement in line with the negotiated terms, which it said is essential for enduring and peaceful coexistence.