The central government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah on Monday signed a historic accord that promises to bring peace in a state ravaged by violence for over six decades, as various stakeholders in the process cautiously welcomed the move.
Following the signing of the accord, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accord was an inspiration in "our troubled world" and noted that the Naga problem was a legacy of the British which took a long time to resolve as "we did not understand each other".
Speaking at the signing of the "historic" accord, Modi said the event not only marked the "end of a problem, but the beginning of a new future".
"Today's agreement is a shining example of what we can achieve when we deal with each other in a spirit of equality and respect, trust and confidence; when we seek to understand concerns and try to address aspirations; when we leave the path of dispute and take the high road of dialogue. It is a lesson and an inspiration in our troubled world," Modi said.
He said the Naga political issue had lingered for six decades, "taking a huge toll on generations of our people".
"Unfortunately, the Naga problem has taken so long to resolve because we did not understand each other," the prime minister said.
"It is a legacy of the British rule. The colonial rulers had, by design, kept the Nagas isolated and insulated. They propagated terrible myths about Nagas in the rest of the country," he said.
"The respect for the infirm and elders, the status of women in society, sensitivity to Mother Nature, and the emphasis on social equality is a natural way of Naga life. These are values that should constitute the foundation of the society that we all seek."
NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, who signed the accord at the ceremony held at the prime minister's 7 Race Course Road residence, hailed it as a "momentous occasion".
"I thank god for this momentous occasion," Muivah said.
"Under Narendra Modi, we have come close to understanding each other and have worked out a new relation" with the government, he said.
He also said the Naga people have great respect for Mahatma Gandhi.
Muivah, 81, is a key leader of the NSCN-IM which has been in talks with the central government since 1997 after a ceasefire agreement was signed.
NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chishi Swu, who had also signed the agreement, could not make it to the ceremony as he is unwell and undergoing treatment at Fortis hospital in Delhi. His son Pasheto was, however, present.
Meanwhile, various stakeholders from the northeastern state in the peace process cautiously welcomed the signing of the accord.
The Naga Hoho, the apex body of all Naga tribes of Nagaland, welcomed the accord but said it needed to see the contents of the deal before further commenting on it.
"We are happy and welcome the accord but we need to see its contents before making further comments," Naga Hoho president P. Chuba Ozukum told IANS over phone soon after the announcement of the agreement.
Asked how effective the deal would be given that it was signed with the NSCN-IM, while the NSCN-Khaplang faction abrogated its ceasefire with the government in March this year, Ozukum said S.S. Khaplang was being asked to renew the ceasefire.
"We are still requesting Khaplang to renew the ceasefire. We are trying to make him understand," he said.
Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPHMR) chairman N. Krome told IANS: "We were all caught by surprise by the sudden announcement."
He said they were aware that something was happening "but we did not realise that something like this would happen so soon".
Thangso Baite, the Congress Lok Sabha member from Outer Manipur, cautiously welcomed the peace accord, saying it should not affect the neighbouring states.
"We were anxiously awaiting the peace accord provided it does not affect the neighbouring states," the MP from a constituency that has a large Naga population and is home to Muivah's Tangkhul Naga tribe told IANS.
Nagaland became India's 16th state on December 1, 1963. The mostly mountainous state is spread over 16,579 square km and is home to 16 major tribes, each with distinct customs, language and dress.
Christian-dominated Nagaland is home to around 20 million people. Its official language is English.
