Kohima, Jan. 30: The ruling Naga Peoples Front has urged the Centre to recognise the party's agenda of integration of contiguous Naga-inhabited areas under one administrative unit.
In a statement, the party said the Union government and some political parties had voiced protest against the issue, notwithstanding Clause 13 of the 16-point agreement singed between the Centre and the Naga People's Convention in 1960 that committed integration of all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas under one administrative unit.
So far, the Centre has not implemented Clause 13 of the agreement.
Reiterating its commitment towards integration of contiguous Naga-inhabited areas, the party said it was a legitimate demand of the Naga people living in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh within the democratic ideals of the country.
Nagaland was created through the 16-point agreement of 1960. The state Assembly had passed several resolutions for Naga integration.
"The Naga people desire to live together as members of the same family and the NPF will continue to fight for realisation of the people's aspiration and find our rightful place within the Indian Union," the statement said.
The NPF has been branded as the "political front" of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, which had supported the 12 candidates fielded by the party in the Manipur elections held on January 28. .
The United Naga Council, which is spearheading the cause of Naga integration, had also supported the NPF.
However, the NPF does not fully endorse the 16-point agreement, which was signed without the consent of Naga militants.
NPF president Shurohozelie Liezietsu said the agreement had failed to solve the political problem of the Nagas. Rather, it had led to the escalation of violence in Nagaland, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives.
The Congress has been supporting the 16-point agreement and had lashed out at the NPF for criticising the pact. It said the NPF, which was enjoying the fruits of statehood, should not criticise the agreement. It said in Nagaland recently that the state was created through the agreement and anyone against it could not be a member of the Nagaland Assembly.
The NPF president, however, said, "The 16-point agreement was signed in contravention of the resolution passed by the NPC in its third session at Mokokchung in 1959 because it left out the real conflicting group ' the undergrounds ' for whom the proposal for a settlement was mooted." The NPC was formed in 1957 to mediate between the Centre and the Naga rebels, but it later became the signatory led by Imkongliba Ao as president, Jasokie as secretary and former chief minister and governor of Goa and Maharashtra S.C. Jamir as the joint secretary.
Liezietsu said the conflict was between the Naga rebels and Delhi and the NPC was not a competent body to sign any agreement.
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