Naga Peace Talks ‘Closed’, NNPGs Push for Final Political Settlement

Guwahati: The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPGs) has asserted that the protracted peace negotiations with the Government of India have already been concluded and should not be reopened, urging the Centre to move towards finalising a political settlement without further delay.

In a statement issued on February 10, the committee maintained that the agreed position reached with New Delhi represents the collective aspirations of the Naga people and must form the basis of the final accord. The group stressed that revisiting or altering the negotiated terms would undermine years of dialogue and consensus-building.

The WC-NNPGs welcomed the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), describing it as an important corrective step aimed at addressing longstanding grievances and developmental neglect in eastern Nagaland. However, it emphasised that while the FNTA may resolve regional concerns, the larger Indo-Naga political issue concerning the broader ancestral homeland still requires a comprehensive and honourable settlement.

According to the committee, the peace process has involved more than 80 rounds of discussions over nearly two decades, following a ceasefire that began in the 1990s. Substantive negotiations were said to have concluded in October 2019, with the agreed documents reportedly submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Reaffirming its position, the WC-NNPGs stated that the time for negotiation has passed and that the focus should now be on signing and implementing the final agreement. It called on the central leadership to demonstrate political will in bringing the long-standing peace process to its logical conclusion, underscoring that a stable and lasting settlement is crucial for the region’s future.

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