Revive Naga Concordant for ‘one govt. one tax’, says The Naga Rising

DIMAPUR — The Naga Rising (TNR) has called for the revival of the Naga Concordant and a shift in focus from reconciliation to the formation of a single national government.

In a press release received here on Sunday, TNR noted that even after 15 years since the Covenant of Reconciliation (CoR) was signed on June 13, 2009, “the promise and potential of Naga reconciliation has not been fully realised.”

TNR, nevertheless, expressed gratitude to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) for the effort to end killings and bloodshed among warring Naga armed groups, and also acknowledged the forum’s contribution towards peace building during those dark and difficult times when the Naga community was faced with ‘chaos and destruction’.

It also noted the vision and the courage demonstrated by the signatories of the CoR who “deserve our salute for choosing the path of reconciliation.”

However, as the promise of reconciliation has not been fully realised, it urged the FNR and the Naga political groups (NPGs) to “sincerely reflect over this issue so that we can move forward.”

TNR went on to state that Nagas are in a precarious situation where the Ceasefire has created an eco-system that is breeding more division and confusion. “Unless Nagas stand together in one voice, we should not expect an honourable solution as it suits the government of India to use our divisions to control us,” it maintained.

“The time has come to go beyond reconciliation and shift focus to power-sharing,” TNR asserted, adding that “There is an urgent need to build a new narrative from reconciliation to formation of a single national government.”

Further, it urged for the revival of the Naga Concordant that, in principle, had resolved to work towards the formation of one Naga national government.

“Signed on August 26, 2011 by Isak Chishi Swu, Th Muivah, Gen (Retd.) Khole Konyak, Kitovi Zhimomi, Brig. (Retd.) S Singnya and Zhopra Vero, the Naga Concordant aligns with the strong sentiment of the Naga public for ‘one govt. one tax’. Importantly, it will also allow for the convergence of the parallel talks and help in facilitating the signing of a single agreement,” it reasoned.

It went on to say that people are impatient and frustrated with the reconciliation process as it appears to have reached a roadblock.

“Building on what is already in place would require taking some bold decisions,” it said, adding that more public engagement and transparency would be key in developing a new approach for the much-needed mandate and support base. This, in turn, will build public pressure in executing the action plan, it added.