DIMAPUR, Dec 16: The Niki Sumi faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) has accused the Centre of deliberately prolonging the Naga peace talks and cautioned that the Naga people are fully aware of the intent behind the delays. Addressing a press conference at the Ceasefire Supervisory Board office here on Monday, NSCN(K) leader Niki Sumi called for unity among Naga political parties, civil society and apex tribal organisations to achieve a meaningful resolution to the long-standing Naga political issue.
Lamenting deep divisions within Naga civil society, Sumi said fragmentation among social organisations has contributed to the rise of factionalism within political groups. “If civil society is divided, factions emerge based on tribes or villages. The blame does not lie solely with the Naga political groups; division within civil society fuels factionalism,” he said.
Stressing the need for collective leadership, Sumi urged the unification of the three major apex bodies — the United Naga Council (UNC) Manipur, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), and the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC). He said only a united front could ensure a credible and durable political settlement.
Accusing New Delhi of adopting a delaying strategy, Sumi said the Centre appeared to believe that the Nagas would eventually “tire out”. “But the Naga people are not fools. If the intention is merely to conclude the talks without a genuine solution, the people are watching and will eventually understand the reality,” he warned.
Sumi also alleged that certain Naga tribal and political leaders were misleading the people about their engagements with the Centre. He claimed that some leaders who claim proximity to high-level ministerial meetings are “managed by Indian intelligence agencies to sow discord” within Naga society.
Warning against the dangers of prolonged stagnation, Sumi said Naga intellectuals and political groups must carefully study the current situation to avoid a fate similar to other movements that failed due to internal divisions. “Creating factions is not our goal. If political parties become lethargic, a solution will not come,” he said.
On the stalled peace process, Sumi drew a sharp contrast between the approach of the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (WC NNPGs) and the Framework Agreement signed between the Centre and the NSCN-IM in 2015. He questioned the practicality of the NSCN-IM’s insistence on a separate flag and constitution without territorial integration of Naga-inhabited areas in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
“Without integration, how will a flag or constitution cover the southern Nagas? Will the Centre agree to break the boundaries of Manipur or Arunachal? If integration does not happen, the flag and constitution have no value,” Sumi argued. He also questioned the contents of the Framework Agreement, saying its details remain unclear even a decade after it was signed.
Highlighting the NNPGs’ position, Sumi said they advocate accepting what is currently achievable — including competencies and administrative arrangements — and continuing the struggle for remaining rights through democratic means. He urged Naga intellectuals and the public to read both the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position “without emotion” and accept political realities.
The Centre and NSCN-IM entered into a ceasefire in 1997, initiating negotiations to resolve the decades-old conflict. After over 70 rounds of talks, the Framework Agreement was signed in 2015, but disagreements over a separate Naga flag and constitution have stalled progress. Parallel talks with the WC NNPGs began in 2017, resulting in the Agreed Position, with the NNPGs expressing readiness to move forward without insisting on all contentious demands at once.
