No Greater Nagaland will be carved out, government shoots down rumors

Nagaland for Christ, Greater Nagaland, Nagas, Manipur, Assam, NSCN-IM , N Biren Singh, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, India

Greater Nagaland or Nagalim which was the talk of the town will now, will die its natural death.  With the slogan “Nagaland for Christ” it also became an issue in the rest of India with people wondering how government would handle such a case where a state openly declared itself connected to religion.

In a statement, the government shot down the Greater Nagaland talk and said:

Some media reports have appeared recently to the effect that the Govt. of India has agreed to carve out a Greater Nagaland State by taking away the territories of the states contiguous to Nagaland. Such reports are erroneous. It is clarified that there is no such agreement or decision of the Govt. of India.

How did the confusion on Greater Nagaland begin?

Thuingaleng Muivah who is the General Secretary, NSCN-IM (a Naga insurgent group) was recently quoted as having stated that the ‘Framework Agreement’ signed with the Centre 2 years back also recognised its group’s demand for territorial integration of all Naga inhabited areas in the region. This would also mean some part of other states like Manipur where recently BJP came to power under its Chief Minister N Biren Singh,  BJP ruled Assam, BJP ruled Arunachal Pradesh and a large tract of western Myanmar adjoining India.

Background of the talks between NSCN and Government of India:

On 12th August 2016, the Government of India released information about its talk with NSCN.

R.N. Ravi, Government of India Interlocutor and T. Muivah, General Secretary, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) issued a Joint Communiqué after their talks and it read:

“The political initiative of the Government of India and NSCN to amicably resolve the Naga political issue has received a new urgency and impetus during the last two years. The talks have become more purposeful, less ritualistic, more forthright and far more frequent. In the last two years we met more times than all the years before. It helped building unprecedented mutual understanding and trust.”

The joint communiqué also said:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statesmanship, his respect and love for the Naga people, their legitimate rights and aspirations and wisdom of the Naga leaders could lead to the historic Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 which settles the political parameters of the final solution. Within these parameters, details are being worked out in earnest.

We assure the people that the talks have been progressing in right direction with determination. We are closer than ever before to the final settlement and hope to conclude it sooner than later.”

But nowhere was there a talk of Greater Nagaland.

Manipur youth writes an open letter to the PM as blockade cripples life

Ex-chief minister Okram Ibobi ahead of the Manipur Assembly elections had said that no part of the state can ever be a part of Greater Nagaland.

An economic blockade in Manipur which was led by the United Naga Council and had crippled the state’s supply lines for over 130 days was lifted recently bringing relief to the state however the talks of Greater Nagaland surfaced soon after the elections.

But now this clarification will help soothe the frayed nerves.

How social media reacted on Greater Nagaland:

By Namta Gupta

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